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Jesus Tree
A Black man wrongly convicted of murder attempts to rebuild his life and bring the real killer to justice, in this historical novel based on a true story.
In the summer of 1932, Ben Jordan was wrongfully accused of killing a white pastor in Georgia. After a hasty trial, he was sentenced to a life of grueling labor on a chain gang and abuse at the hands of brutal wardens. But now, with his forty-year prison sentence completed, Ben is finally returning home.
As he struggles to understand the profound changes the world has undergone, some things remain painfully the same—including the hateful animosity towards Black people and the fact that the real murderer is still living the life of a genteel southerner. Working to rebuild his life and see justice served, Ben faces one confrontation after another—with friend, foe, and a daughter who thinks he is dead.
In this novel based on a real Depression Era murder case, author and Georgia historian Stephen Doster presents a vividly accurate depiction of Jim Crow’s long and painful legacy.
In the summer of 1932, Ben Jordan was wrongfully accused of killing a white pastor in Georgia. After a hasty trial, he was sentenced to a life of grueling labor on a chain gang and abuse at the hands of brutal wardens. But now, with his forty-year prison sentence completed, Ben is finally returning home.
As he struggles to understand the profound changes the world has undergone, some things remain painfully the same—including the hateful animosity towards Black people and the fact that the real murderer is still living the life of a genteel southerner. Working to rebuild his life and see justice served, Ben faces one confrontation after another—with friend, foe, and a daughter who thinks he is dead.
In this novel based on a real Depression Era murder case, author and Georgia historian Stephen Doster presents a vividly accurate depiction of Jim Crow’s long and painful legacy.
438 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2014
About the author
Stephen Doster
9 books10 followersI was born in England to a mother who served as a WAFF on eight RAF fighter stations during World War II and a father who served as a navigator in the Pacific during that war on the USS Taylor, a Fletcher class destroyer that earned nine battle stars. Much to my good fortune, our family relocated first to Alabama, then Georgia, where I grew up on a small barrier island off the Georgia coast. St. Simons (now a resort area) is a low-country boil of clashing cultures. Timucua Indians, Spanish missionaries, English settlers, slaves and plantation owners, Confederate and Union soldiers, and Saltwater Geechee have all taken their turns on its stage, supplanting one another as lords and masters of the island. St. Simons is now the domain of middle and upper class families, though one trailer park still survives. Evidence of the area's past still abounds, and from it I draw much of the inspiration for plots and characters.
The island I grew up on happens to be on the 31st Parallel north of the Equator, which includes the geographic area below Savannah, north of the Georgia-Florida border, and everything east and west of that. Down on the 31st and 32nd Parallels, you're in the Deep South of the "Deep South". Look at all the writers who come from those strips, and don't surprised if you start to see some similarities in their works. It has to do with their shared history, the geography, and the people who inhabit those realms. Many of the early Georgia settlers traveled directly west to settle regions in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. They took their histories and their stories with them. Part of the Southern writer's job is to resurrect those stories and their histories in creating new works. It's recycling of the highest order.
I have a business degree from the University of Georgia and a masters from Vanderbilt University where I work.
The island I grew up on happens to be on the 31st Parallel north of the Equator, which includes the geographic area below Savannah, north of the Georgia-Florida border, and everything east and west of that. Down on the 31st and 32nd Parallels, you're in the Deep South of the "Deep South". Look at all the writers who come from those strips, and don't surprised if you start to see some similarities in their works. It has to do with their shared history, the geography, and the people who inhabit those realms. Many of the early Georgia settlers traveled directly west to settle regions in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. They took their histories and their stories with them. Part of the Southern writer's job is to resurrect those stories and their histories in creating new works. It's recycling of the highest order.
I have a business degree from the University of Georgia and a masters from Vanderbilt University where I work.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 8, 2021
A most remarkable book, both beautiful and tragic. I finished it this week while spending time at a cottage in the Okefenokee. Paddling a canoe across Billy's Lake, of course I thought of Billy Waters. Driving home today and crossing the Altamaha I scanned the banks and imagined Ben fleeing and floating. Heck just driving up US highways 441 and 84 I wondered about the men who built those highways.
This book will stay with me a long time. It's my first by this author but will most definitely not be my last.
This book will stay with me a long time. It's my first by this author but will most definitely not be my last.
March 16, 2026
Doster writes like he lived every page
There is an intimacy to Stephen Doster's writing that you simply cannot fake. The way he captures the fear, the silence, and the slow suffocation of injustice in Depression-era Georgia feels lived-in and achingly real. This is an author who pours his entire soul onto the page.
There is an intimacy to Stephen Doster's writing that you simply cannot fake. The way he captures the fear, the silence, and the slow suffocation of injustice in Depression-era Georgia feels lived-in and achingly real. This is an author who pours his entire soul onto the page.
March 16, 2026
Doster made me care more than I thought possible
I picked up Jesus Tree not knowing what to expect and ended up completely undone by it. Stephen Doster has an extraordinary gift for making you feel the full weight of a character's life. By the final chapter I wasn't just rooting for Ben Jordan, I was grieving with him and celebrating with him. Remarkable.
I picked up Jesus Tree not knowing what to expect and ended up completely undone by it. Stephen Doster has an extraordinary gift for making you feel the full weight of a character's life. By the final chapter I wasn't just rooting for Ben Jordan, I was grieving with him and celebrating with him. Remarkable.
November 13, 2020
This story is wonderful! The history of coastal Georgia really comes to life in this author’s voice. I find the Geechee culture so rich and fascinating. I learned so much reading this book and recommended it to many of my hometown friends who also grew up in Brunswick and St. Simons Island, GA.
March 16, 2026
One of the best indie novels I have ever read
"I only found this because a friend insisted. Now I'm the one insisting everyone I know read it. The writing is polished, the story is original, and the ending left me sitting in silence for a long time. Stephen Doster is genuinely gifted
"I only found this because a friend insisted. Now I'm the one insisting everyone I know read it. The writing is polished, the story is original, and the ending left me sitting in silence for a long time. Stephen Doster is genuinely gifted
March 16, 2026
Coastal Georgia comes alive
"As someone who grew up in the South, the authenticity of the setting took my breath away. Doster clearly knows this land and its history deeply. The atmosphere is thick and real on every page.
"As someone who grew up in the South, the authenticity of the setting took my breath away. Doster clearly knows this land and its history deeply. The atmosphere is thick and real on every page.
March 16, 2026
A mystery wrapped in a meditation on justice
"The whodunit element kept me turning pages, but the real mystery is how a man survives 40 years of wrongful imprisonment and comes out still believing in truth. An extraordinary book.
"The whodunit element kept me turning pages, but the real mystery is how a man survives 40 years of wrongful imprisonment and comes out still believing in truth. An extraordinary book.
March 16, 2026
The prison farm scenes are devastating
"Doster does not look away from the brutality of the prison farm system. Those chapters are hard to read but essential. They make Ben's eventual emergence into the world all the more miraculous and emotional.
"Doster does not look away from the brutality of the prison farm system. Those chapters are hard to read but essential. They make Ben's eventual emergence into the world all the more miraculous and emotional.
March 16, 2026
Should be required reading
"Every American should read this book. The injustice Ben suffers is not ancient history, it reflects a reality that shaped this country. Doster handles the racial themes with honesty and without preaching.
"Every American should read this book. The injustice Ben suffers is not ancient history, it reflects a reality that shaped this country. Doster handles the racial themes with honesty and without preaching.
March 16, 2026
A slow burn that rewards patience
"This isn't a fast-paced thriller. It's a deep, atmospheric, beautifully written story that unfolds like a Southern hymn. Give it the time it deserves and it will move you deeply.
"This isn't a fast-paced thriller. It's a deep, atmospheric, beautifully written story that unfolds like a Southern hymn. Give it the time it deserves and it will move you deeply.
March 16, 2026
Haunting and unforgettable
The Great Depression setting is rendered so vividly that you can almost feel the Georgia heat. But what stays with you long after the last page is Ben himself, a man who lost 40 years of his life and still chose dignity over bitterness
The Great Depression setting is rendered so vividly that you can almost feel the Georgia heat. But what stays with you long after the last page is Ben himself, a man who lost 40 years of his life and still chose dignity over bitterness
March 16, 2026
A debut that puts most veterans to shame
If Jesus Tree is any indication of what Stephen Doster is capable of, then we are in the presence of a major literary talent. His command of language, character, emotion, and history is staggering. I will follow this author wherever his pen takes him.
If Jesus Tree is any indication of what Stephen Doster is capable of, then we are in the presence of a major literary talent. His command of language, character, emotion, and history is staggering. I will follow this author wherever his pen takes him.
March 16, 2026
Doster gives voice to the voiceless
Stephen Doster has done something remarkable, he has taken a man history would have forgotten and made him immortal on the page. Ben Jordan will live in my heart for the rest of my life. Only a truly gifted author could achieve that.
Stephen Doster has done something remarkable, he has taken a man history would have forgotten and made him immortal on the page. Ben Jordan will live in my heart for the rest of my life. Only a truly gifted author could achieve that.
March 16, 2026
An author who respects his readers
What I appreciate most about Stephen Doster is that he never talks down to his audience. He trusts you to feel the weight of Ben's story without spelling everything out. That restraint and respect for the reader is a rare and beautiful quality in a writer.
What I appreciate most about Stephen Doster is that he never talks down to his audience. He trusts you to feel the weight of Ben's story without spelling everything out. That restraint and respect for the reader is a rare and beautiful quality in a writer.
March 16, 2026
A compassionate and courageous author
It takes courage to write honestly about racial injustice in the American South, and Stephen Doster does it with both boldness and compassion. He never exploits the pain of his characters. He honors it. That is the mark of a truly great writer.
It takes courage to write honestly about racial injustice in the American South, and Stephen Doster does it with both boldness and compassion. He never exploits the pain of his characters. He honors it. That is the mark of a truly great writer.
March 16, 2026
Doster writes with the confidence of a true artist
There is no hesitation in Doster's writing. He commits fully to his story, his setting, and his characters without a single wasted word. Reading Jesus Tree feels like being in the hands of a writer who knows exactly what he is doing
There is no hesitation in Doster's writing. He commits fully to his story, his setting, and his characters without a single wasted word. Reading Jesus Tree feels like being in the hands of a writer who knows exactly what he is doing
March 16, 2026
How is this man not famous?
I finished Jesus Tree at midnight and immediately searched for everything else Stephen Doster has written. His prose is luminous, his characters breathe, and his sense of place is unmatched. The literary world needs to discover this author.
I finished Jesus Tree at midnight and immediately searched for everything else Stephen Doster has written. His prose is luminous, his characters breathe, and his sense of place is unmatched. The literary world needs to discover this author.
March 16, 2026
Doster understands the human soul
What separates Stephen Doster from other authors is his profound understanding of human suffering and resilience. Ben Jordan's journey could have felt melodramatic in lesser hands. Instead it feels deeply true and deeply moving.
What separates Stephen Doster from other authors is his profound understanding of human suffering and resilience. Ben Jordan's journey could have felt melodramatic in lesser hands. Instead it feels deeply true and deeply moving.
March 16, 2026
A writer of extraordinary gifts
The blurb calls Doster 'a writer of unique gifts' and that is no exaggeration. Every sentence feels carefully crafted yet completely natural. You never catch him trying too hard. That kind of effortless prose takes enormous talent.
The blurb calls Doster 'a writer of unique gifts' and that is no exaggeration. Every sentence feels carefully crafted yet completely natural. You never catch him trying too hard. That kind of effortless prose takes enormous talent.
March 16, 2026
A storyteller of the highest order
Stephen Doster does something most writers only dream of, he makes you forget you are reading. The pages disappear, the world disappears, and all that exists is Ben Jordan and his impossible journey. That is the magic of a truly exceptional storyteller
Stephen Doster does something most writers only dream of, he makes you forget you are reading. The pages disappear, the world disappears, and all that exists is Ben Jordan and his impossible journey. That is the magic of a truly exceptional storyteller
December 24, 2014
I received Jesus Tree from Goodreads Giveaways. What follows is my honest opinion of this book.
If you just read one book in 2015, let it be Jesus Tree. I had not read any of Mr. Doster's prior books but felt I would like Jesus Tree, as the setting for this story is my home state, Georgia. I have great appreciation for the incredible amount of research that Mr. Doster did prior to writing this book, delving into the murder of the white pastor in southeast Georgia during the depression and the subsequent 40 year prison sentence served by the black man who was wrongly convicted of the crime, which true event served as a basis for this story.
Beyond that though, the author spent a great deal of time in explaining the African culture of coastal Georgia, the belief system that dominated the lives of the blacks living in areas such as Sapelo Island; the culture that made Ben Jordan into the honest, god-fearing man he remained throughout his entire life.
This story was extremely well crafted and knitted together as Ben's story is told from birth to death; the predictions made at the time of his birth and how they all played out in the following 60 years or so. The descriptions of the root doctor and his conjures to the torture Ben endured in the prison camp seemed so real I felt I could have been there. The incredible emotion as Ben finally completes his journey back to Sapelo Island and his redemption were the ultimate great ending to the story that I was expecting.
I won't say more and spoil this book for anyone else. I can't say enough good things about this book and I trust anyone else who spends the time with Jesus Tree will feel the same.
If you just read one book in 2015, let it be Jesus Tree. I had not read any of Mr. Doster's prior books but felt I would like Jesus Tree, as the setting for this story is my home state, Georgia. I have great appreciation for the incredible amount of research that Mr. Doster did prior to writing this book, delving into the murder of the white pastor in southeast Georgia during the depression and the subsequent 40 year prison sentence served by the black man who was wrongly convicted of the crime, which true event served as a basis for this story.
Beyond that though, the author spent a great deal of time in explaining the African culture of coastal Georgia, the belief system that dominated the lives of the blacks living in areas such as Sapelo Island; the culture that made Ben Jordan into the honest, god-fearing man he remained throughout his entire life.
This story was extremely well crafted and knitted together as Ben's story is told from birth to death; the predictions made at the time of his birth and how they all played out in the following 60 years or so. The descriptions of the root doctor and his conjures to the torture Ben endured in the prison camp seemed so real I felt I could have been there. The incredible emotion as Ben finally completes his journey back to Sapelo Island and his redemption were the ultimate great ending to the story that I was expecting.
I won't say more and spoil this book for anyone else. I can't say enough good things about this book and I trust anyone else who spends the time with Jesus Tree will feel the same.
September 23, 2014
“From the moment I opened the book I knew it was going to be good. Stephen Doster is a master storyteller and wordsmith. He takes you through the rabbit hole to Sapelo Island, Georgia. I have had the privilege of staying there at Cornelia Bailey’s house (You can, too. Go online. She wrote God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia). It was made so much more real since I had seen the area, smelled the briny marsh and walked the dirt roads on the coastal barrier island. Jesus Tree Starts out and ends there. What happens in-between is what keeps you from doing laundry and walking the dog. You do not want to stop until you find out what happens. I highly recommend this book and any of Stephen’s other works: Lord Baltimore, Voices from St. Simons, Georgia Witness, Rose Bush and Shadow Child. From the time I read Lord Baltimore, I had to have every one of them.”
— Jeanie Loiacono
— Jeanie Loiacono
March 20, 2015
I won this book on GoodReads.
"Jesus Tree" is a well written story. Set in Costal Georgia
the book is a realistic look at the way life was in the south in the depression era. Sadly, some of the prejudices so realistically portrayed in the book are still part of southern life today in some areas of the south! By being brave enough to use the language of the era the author has written a book that is very authentic and intriguing! The story pulls you in and stays with you long after you have turned the last page!!
"Jesus Tree" is a well written story. Set in Costal Georgia
the book is a realistic look at the way life was in the south in the depression era. Sadly, some of the prejudices so realistically portrayed in the book are still part of southern life today in some areas of the south! By being brave enough to use the language of the era the author has written a book that is very authentic and intriguing! The story pulls you in and stays with you long after you have turned the last page!!
September 3, 2016
An excellent story dealing with the life of an African-American man convicted of murdering a white minister in Coastal Georgia during the Depression. Stephen Doster does an excellent job recreating the southern scene complete with language and words appropriate to the time. The story includes scenes striking contrast between the spiritual beliefs of the Coastal African-Americans and people living on the main land. This novel is slated to become a classic in the genre of Southern Literature.
October 10, 2014
This is one of the best authors of historical fiction. He brings his characters to life. Hard story to read because of the treatment of convicts in 1930s. But main character will grab your heart. Also great historical information on an African culture and beliefs.
December 28, 2015
Wow, incredible southern historical fiction. This book draws you in as the authors masterful writing plays the story in your head like a movie. Absolutely one of the best novels I've read in years! Highly recommended!!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews