February 12, 2024
The layered and timely latest from Grunwald (Time After Time) revolves around the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial. Orphaned at age 16 in the 1918 flu pandemic, Annabel Craig counts herself lucky to have found domestic bliss with her lawyer husband, George. Then a client of George’s is acquitted for murder and subsequently kills his young son and himself, prompting George to retreat emotionally from Annabel and disappear for days on end. When Annabel reports she’s had a miscarriage, George fails to express concern for her well-being. His old spark returns, however, when he joins Clarence Darrow’s defense team in the case against high school teacher John Scopes for violating a Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution. Annabel, who grew up attending one of the local Methodist churches, finds her initial preference for populist preacher and prosecutor William Jennings Bryan challenged during the trial. Her assumptions about women’s place in marriage and society are likewise shaken by Lottie Nelson, an ambitious young reporter covering the case. Grunwald provides vivid depictions of the influx of reporters and expert witnesses into small-town Dayton, Tenn., as well as a nuanced and well-rounded view of the religious townspeople. With book bans and anti-trans legislation tearing apart school districts, Grunwald’s evenhanded historical speaks volumes to the present day. Agent: Julie Barer, Book Group.
May 31, 2024
Annabel Hayes grew up on her parents' farm near the town of Dayton, TN. When her parents die in the 1918 flu pandemic, Annabel sells the farm and moves to town. She meets and marries George Craig, a lawyer who sweeps her off her feet. Sadly, Annabel's first year of marriage is marked by tragedy, unfulfilled dreams, and painful adjustments. Then, in 1925, John Scopes is arrested for teaching evolution in Dayton. George joins Scopes's legal team, led by his hero, defense attorney Clarence Darrow. The prosecution's team is led by the famed politician William Jennings Bryan, and the trial weighs the science of evolution against faith and the biblical creation story. Narrator Erin Bennett skillfully performs Grunwald's (Time After Time) historical novel, offering a layered portrait of Annabel, whose worldview is upended by the arguments put forth as the trial proceeds. Encounters with reporters and scientists cause her to rethink assumptions she'd always taken for granted and see the world--and herself--in a new light. Bennett's depiction of the emotional upheaval caused by the trial is gripping. VERDICT An excellent book club pick, recommended for fans of historical fiction addressing issues that resonate into the present day.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
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