Play Book Tag discussion

A Fever in the Heartland is a gripping, deeply unsettling account of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to power in 1920s America, particularly in the Midwest, and the extraordinary people who risked everything to stop it. Timothy Egan takes what could have been a dry history lesson and turns it into a tense, propulsive narrative that reads almost like a thriller, but never loses its grounding in fact or its sense of moral clarity.

The book focuses in part on D.C. Stephenson, a truly chilling figure who rose to lead the Klan in Indiana, spreading its hateful ideology under the guise of American values. Egan also follows the journalists, prosecutors and ordinary citizens who eventually brought him, and the broader movement, down. It’s not just a story about hate, but about resistance, justice, and how public opinion can be manipulated when fear and nationalism are weaponised.

Egan’s writing is sharp and vivid, full of atmosphere and historical detail without ever becoming bogged down. He manages to balance the broader social and political context with the personal stories that make the history hit home. It’s a difficult book at times — the subject matter is often disturbing — but it feels painfully relevant, and never less than compelling. This is one of those rare history books that feels both urgent and timeless. It’s uncomfortable in all the right ways, and a powerful reminder of what happens when extremism is allowed to thrive in plain sight.