Agate Bolden, 2024
Paperback: $19.95
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Julian Jones
Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator Leonard Pitts, Jr., 54 Miles is an emotionally well-written third-person historical fiction drama that centers on the human condition of an interracial family confronting its dark past as America undergoes transformational change from its dark, racist underbelly. Pitts digs deep into the harsh realities Black Americans faced in Selma as they struggled for basic human rights amid white segregation, confronting readers with the terror and unjust hatred the characters face as they try to live their lives. As an Alabamian, learning about the tragedies that occurred on Bloody Sunday is important so we can reflect on our dark past and inspire positive changes for today’s continuous struggles. The book shows how hope, justice, and love persevere to find new meaning in a progressively changing world.
The story is set in March 1965 in Alabama, during the fateful events of Bloody Sunday and the successful, peaceful, nonviolent march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It follows a Black Alabama native turned New York resident, Thelma, her white husband, George, and their biracial son, Adam. Adam happens to be one of the many nonviolent protesters who were badly beaten during Bloody Sunday, prompting Thelma to worry for Adam because he’s in Alabama, the state she hated growing up in. George remains hopeful and steadfast as he participates in the nonviolent movement while also confronting his own family’s vicious cycle of racism.
Meanwhile, Thelma’s older brother, Luther, has a vendetta against Floyd Bitters, a white man who was responsible for the horrifying deaths of Luther and Thelma’s mother and father years ago. This vendetta causes an inner conflict about what “justice” means and how it is demanded. Luther’s character represents the doubts and cynicism toward America’s willingness to change. He is a well-written character who is imperfect but holds a small glimmer of hope that change can come.
Adam is the heart of the story’s narrative. The shocking revelations impacting Adam’s life create complexity within his character. The hard and painful truth of how he was born represents how truth, which is not as black and white as it may seem, can fundamentally shape a person’s life. It is also the catalyst for the many subplots that stem from Adam’s time in Alabama. The first is George trying to convince his racist siblings to accept his family, while Thelma returns to Alabama to get her son back and to confront her traumatic past. Their journeys make for an eye-opening, visceral read that will bring out readers’ frustration, fearfulness, and joy as the story’s plot unfolds page by page.
With real historical events peppered throughout the book, 54 Miles is an angry, somber, reflective, and hopeful story that captures the turning point for both the family and the country itself. Reading about these historical events is still relevant today, reminding us of our heritage in the messy, imperfect tapestry of America’s history. Difficult but compelling, Pitts’ novel embodies Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Julian Jones is a freelance reviewer with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He writes about movies, books, and video games, with a special interest in science fiction.
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