November 22

by Bryan Woolley

A fictionalized account of the assassination of President Kennedy details the incidents of the day and how one shocking event changed the lives of a group of Dallas people and the rest of the world

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm jumpy. You know the crazies are going to turn out today."

Tension builds from the first page even though, or perhaps because, we already know the devastating climax at the heart of this book. Starting at midnight, Woolley provides an hour-by-hour countdown leading up to and beyond the historic tragedy that will take place in front of the Texas School Book Depository some 12 and half hours later on Nov. 22, 1963. He fills those hours with the perspectives of some 30 different characters from all points on the socioeconomic and political spectrum, from homeless wino Henry to billionaire oilman J.L. Fisher. The large cast only occasionally gets confusing, and even then only momentarily, and that's mainly because each character's section is presented by his or her first name only. The looniest fringe elements are well represented here (none more than in the character of socialite Martha Babcock, who thinks JFK's assassination was so "very, very deliciously good for the country" and who is therefore planning a celebratory party to coincide with the national funeral), but so are the points of view of the baffled and heartbroken, both young (e.g., 10-year-old Jason Leary, who feels JFK's wave to him from the motorcade was the most important thing that ever happened to him) and old (e.g., 100-year-old Emma Rawlins, who precedes JFK in death by about eight hours, her final thoughts being that every day in heaven will feel like Juneteenth). One of my favorites of the bunch was Betty Lou Carpenter, a PR professional hired by the city of Dallas to ensure a warm welcome for the Kennedys. At about 4 p.m. on the only day this book covers, just a few hours after the dark deed has been done at Dealey Plaza, Betty Lou is thinking, "No one had ever done what she did. Nobody else had ever had to run a public-relations campaign to persuade people not to spit on the president of the United States or hit him with a picket sign." I also liked a character named Justice, the director of a stage production of Julius Caesar, which happened to be rehearsing that play's own assassination scene that day; he observes at one point that "the main thing that's wrong with the world today is assholery." This book pretty much backs up his assessment. In all, the novel offers an unusual glimpse of a day that is now noted annually for all the wrong reasons, and I think it was probably all the more compelling for me because I happened to finish it on this date, the 60th anniversary of the ignominy it examines from so many angles. Good stuff.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting book! I enjoyed this inside look at the events of November 22, 1963. After watching so much in the news to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JFK's death, it was interesting to imagine what things were like in Dallas at that time, especially behind closed doors. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with all the characters, but all in all, I'm glad I read this one.