Flames after Midnight: Murder, Vengeance, and the Desolation of a Texas Community

by Monte Akers

What happened in Kirven, Texas, in May 1922, has been forgotten by the outside world. It was a co-worker's whispered words, "Kirven is where they burned the [Negroes]," that set Monte Akers to work at discovering the true story behind a young white woman's brutal murder and the burning alive of three black men who were almost certainly innocent of it. This was followed by a month-long reign of terror as white men killed blacks while local authorities concealed the real identity of the white probable murderers and allowed them to go free. Writing nonfiction with the skill of a novelist, Akers paints a vivid portrait of a community desolated by race hatred and its own refusal to face hard truths. He sets this tragedy within the story of a region prospering from an oil boom but plagued by lawlessness, and traces the lynching's repercussions down the decades to the present day. What can the uncovering of yet another travesty do to improve race relations in light of the recent lynching in Jasper, Texas? In the opinion of Akers, "This story is now complete, but its messages can never be. The insanity of racial hatred, or hatred of any kind, the necessity of equal protection and due process of law, the danger of mob mentality, and the unforeseen consequences of deception and cover-up all hang from this tale like fruit ripe for the picking.

Genres: History, True Crime, American History, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Monte Akers is the previous author of several books, including The Accidental Historian: Tales of Trash and Treasure (2010); Flames After Midnight: Murder, Vengeance and the Desolation of a Texas Community (1999); and Tales for the Tellings: Six Short Stories of the American Civil War. An attorney as well as historian, a collector of Civil War artifacts, song lyricist (since age nine), and an admirer of Jeb Stuart, he currently lives near Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Wendy Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not the author's fault that I didn't give the book 4 stars. This book is painful to read, but it was definitely worth taking a look into the truth behind the local history of the region I live in. It is written very well with extreme detail in the way the author came about the true story behind a terrible travesty of racial persecution. I am so very glad the author took the time to investigate and honor the truth of what really happened in Kirvin, Texas.

[Laura Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. It's a look at how a small rural Texas town reacted to the murder of a white woman by burning three African American men to death. He did a good job of setting the scene: how the town was affected by the recent Oil boom in the area as well as the racial stress once African American men returned after World War I. What's really neat about this book is that the author had a breakthrough in the middle of writing his book. He walks us through that breakthrough and the way that his book evolved from that point. He also gained even more information after the first edition of the book was published and he includes that as well. I really enjoyed watching that process.

[Jesse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be under FICTION!!
Most of what Monte gathered was hear say by many who feel opressed for no reason. If you didn't experience slavery or segregation, get over it. You only hold yourself back...

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound, honest, and heartbreaking. Monte searched with great courage for the truth and delivered what history allowed to be brought forward. A must read.

[Lori Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book gives tells a great story of how things were and how people lived. The author goes out on a hunt to possibly solve a mystery in a small rural town but when he catches a new lead he doesn’t seem to probe for more information. Later I’m sure he came to regret but I’m positive he learned a lesson. I got this book because my great grandparents are the Prowells. They lived in Kirven during this time.

[Woj · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's most compelling about this book is that with its fits and starts (there are two parts and two epilogues, each covering different aspects and perspectives of the same brutal lynching in 1922) you become part of the process of remembering this heinous act. This book is not only about the horrific circumstances of the lynching and what it says about white society's treatment of African Americans at the time, but the necessary and messy act of digging up the past so that we can understand the present.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical review of the abominable practice of lynching. Skip the graphic details. Guess which state had the most lynchings. Mississippi? Alabama? No, TEXAS!!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible, horribly vivid, and enlightening read. Chock full of details (if you're like me, that's awesome) and some speculation, but ultimately endeavoring.

[Shelby P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book however here and there I felt like the story was repeated to many times. The ending keeps you glued to the book more than the beginning does.