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Literary
May 9, 1959
Jackson Advocate
Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi
What is this article about?
Announcement of Nathaniel Hooks' first novel 'Town on Trial', published in New York. The story depicts a false rape accusation by white woman Anna Lee Sandsby against Black man Robert Bryson in Mississippi, sparking racial tensions and involving Sheriff Mark Iverson. Hooks, born 1926 in Crawford, MS, is a Navy veteran and welder in Milwaukee.
Merged-components note: Merged image of author (Nathaniel Hooks) with book review text, as indicated by 'above' in text
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
TOWN ON TRIAL: A Mississippi Negro, Nathaniel Hooks, above, has his first book, under the above title, published this month by the Exposition Press, Inc., 386 Fourth Ave., New York, N. Y.
Nathaniel Hooks wrote his first manuscript when he was in the United States Navy in Camp Perry, Virginia, and on Okinawa, but rodents destroyed it in his sea-bag.
Town on Trial is his first published novel.
Mr. Hooks was born in 1926 in Crawford, Mississippi, and was educated there, in Winston County, Alabama, and in Milwaukee, where he now works as a welder.
The author joined the Navy a month after his sixteenth birthday, during World War II, and served until the end of 1945.
The book tells the story about what happened when golden haired Anna Lee Sandsby branded Robert Bryson, a young Negro husband and father with rape and set in motion a series of events that was to bring the town to the brink of calamity and make it the cynosure of the nation's eyes . . . Angry men led by Anna Lee's unlettered father deliver an ultimatum to the town's Negro population . . . Hooks has created a memorable gallery of characters, whites and Negroes. Not the least of these is Sheriff Mark Iverson, whose courage and fair-mindedness play key roles in the electrifying drama . . .
In the light of today's headlines, Town On Trial... is narrated with power and compassion.
Nathaniel Hooks wrote his first manuscript when he was in the United States Navy in Camp Perry, Virginia, and on Okinawa, but rodents destroyed it in his sea-bag.
Town on Trial is his first published novel.
Mr. Hooks was born in 1926 in Crawford, Mississippi, and was educated there, in Winston County, Alabama, and in Milwaukee, where he now works as a welder.
The author joined the Navy a month after his sixteenth birthday, during World War II, and served until the end of 1945.
The book tells the story about what happened when golden haired Anna Lee Sandsby branded Robert Bryson, a young Negro husband and father with rape and set in motion a series of events that was to bring the town to the brink of calamity and make it the cynosure of the nation's eyes . . . Angry men led by Anna Lee's unlettered father deliver an ultimatum to the town's Negro population . . . Hooks has created a memorable gallery of characters, whites and Negroes. Not the least of these is Sheriff Mark Iverson, whose courage and fair-mindedness play key roles in the electrifying drama . . .
In the light of today's headlines, Town On Trial... is narrated with power and compassion.
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
What themes does it cover?
Political
Social Manners
Liberty Freedom
What keywords are associated?
Novel
Racial Tension
False Accusation
Mississippi Town
Negro Author
Navy Veteran
Sheriff Iverson
What entities or persons were involved?
Nathaniel Hooks
Literary Details
Title
Town On Trial
Author
Nathaniel Hooks
Subject
False Rape Accusation Leading To Racial Unrest In A Mississippi Town
Key Lines
What Happened When Golden Haired Anna Lee Sandsby Branded Robert Bryson, A Young Negro Husband And Father With Rape And Set In Motion A Series Of Events That Was To Bring The Town To The Brink Of Calamity
Angry Men Led By Anna Lee's Unlettered Father Deliver An Ultimatum To The Town's Negro Population
Hooks Has Created A Memorable Gallery Of Characters, Whites And Negroes. Not The Least Of These Is Sheriff Mark Iverson, Whose Courage And Fair Mindedness Play Key Roles In The Electrifying Drama