Tom Franklin’s “Crooked Letter”

Tom Franklin’s “Crooked Letter”

Author Tom Franklin’s book “Crooked Letter” is slower paced than his first story collections, but just as riveting in it’s own way. It’s a story about a rural Mississippi town set in the 1970’s era. In perfect southern dialog he tells a tale of a mechanic and a childhood friend who have long been separated by time and circumstance. Larry Ott is the mechanics name. He works in the family garage but none of the townspeople will associate with him. They have suspicions that he killed a young woman who came up missing in 1982. She was never seen after Larry’s date with her, the first and only date Larry has ever had. The body was never found and Larry was never charged. Now he’s a suspect again.

Larry’s only friend is an African American childhood friend, Silas Jones. Silas is the town constable and knows in his heart that Larry could never kill anyone. He is determined to protect Larry and prove he is innocent. Blacks and whites didn’t mix in 1970 Mississippi so the two boys never associated in public. But back in the woods where Silas lived with his mother they could play cowboys and Indians, fish in the rivers and creeks, and read Steven King books. Larry’s dad somehow discovered their friendship and put a stop to it. The boys never played together again.

In the “Crooked Letter” Franklin goes back and forth in time between the past and present. He goes into details of the boyhood friendship and brings up a secret that may explain the bond that has connected Larry and Silas through the years. Larry is harassed by the townsfolk, hounded by teenagers, and feels alone and helpless. Franklin keeps the anxiety high and fills the tale with narrative that makes it hard to put the book down. 

Tom Franklin grew up in rural Alabama and admits to being an outsider in his family of sportsmen, who expected him to put aside his love of reading to join them in more manly pursuits. In “Crooked Letter” he brings back the past racism and prejudice and presents a good look at the small towns in the South in that era.

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