Literary Scene: September Nonfiction

Ryan examines three terrific nonfiction books

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found
by Gilbert King

The idea for Gilbert King’s latest book, Beneath a Ruthless Sun, began when he was giving a reading from his Pulitzer-winning book Devil in the Grove in Groveland, Florida. A deputy confessed to King about still being haunted by a case from nearby Okahumpka in 1957 where Jesse Daniels, a mentally disabled white teen, was framed for rape and then railroaded—without a trial—off to a notoriously brutal mental institution. King’s book follows Daniels’ mom and a newspaper woman as they struggle for more than a decade to prove Jesse was innocent. The book also does an admirable job showing what was happening in the South in the aftermath of the 1954 Brown v. Board decision—often considered to be one of the most important civil rights cases of the 20th century.

When asked about the differences between this book and his previous one, King explains: “Even though both books are set in Lake County [FL], and there are a few recurring characters, the Jesse Daniels case could not be more different. In Beneath a Ruthless Sun, the alleged rape victim is not a poor, seventeen-year-old farm girl, but rather the wealthy, educated wife of one of the most powerful men in central Florida. Again, wealth, status, and race play major roles in the story, but never in the ways we’re accustomed to. As far as death penalty cases go, and as far as I’ve been able to determine, the Jesse Daniels case is unprecedented with regard to race and injustice in America.”

King is a first-rate writer and this well-researched, gripping story reads like a novel despite being nonfiction. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.75 out of 5
www.GilbertKing.com

Into the Storm: Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic Battle for Survival
by Tristram Korten

As editor of the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, Tristram Korten spent more than a year studying and reporting on Florida’s response to rising sea levels and other issues relating to a warming environment—including an increase of hurricane strength. Korten is the one who broke the story on Florida’s governor’s recent efforts to ban the terms “climate change” and “global warming” from all official state correspondence. nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction 

Who better then to tell the September 2015 story of Hurricane Joaquin, which blew past the Bahamas and gobbled up two cargo vessels that couldn’t escape its deadly path: the Minouche, a 230-foot freighter with a dozen sailors, and El Faro, a 790-foot American ship with a crew of 33. nonfiction

Into the Storm—Korten’s first book—tells the parallel stories of these two imperiled ships as their veteran captains fight against the forces of nature to save their increasingly-desperate crews. This book is the definitive account of what happened with these two ships and the daring search-and-rescue operation undertaken by the elite Coast Guard swimmers who are trained for the most dangerous ocean missions, but who meet their match with this storm that defied prediction and proved devastatingly deadly. nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction 

Korten’s story reveals the impressive skill of the Coast Guard, the powerful brotherhood of mariners, and the awesome power of nature in action. Fans of Sebastian Junger and Jon Krakauer will quite likely enjoy this book of gripping narrative nonfiction. nonfiction

Rating: 4.25 out of 5
www.Facebook.com/tkorten/

Confidence Creator
by Heather Monahan

I confess—I’m leery when I see 50+ five-star-average ratings for a book on Amazon; either the author has a lot of friends or the book is a borderline phenomenon. Well, I’m happy to report that Heather Monahan’s Confidence Creator does not seem propped up by insincere ratings. nonfiction

Her story about how she shattered the glass ceiling in corporate America, was unexpectedly fired and ended up in a scary-but-common life crossroads? It’s relatable, compelling and well-written. When deciding between getting back into the corporate world or taking a gamble on herself, she chose the latter, plunging headfirst into running Boss in Heels, her lifestyle brand “that teaches ambitious women to take full control over their careers, relationships and lives, and to create their own future.”

Confidence Creator shares the strategies and wisdom she learned throughout the years, which included a rocky childhood, being the second of four kids to a young mother in a bad marriage. “She had the courage to leave but had nowhere to go, so when I was six years old, she moved us all into a trailer behind my grandparents’ house in Worcester, Massachusetts. We did the best we could to get by.”

While the book is packed with actionable advice and useful tips, it’s the candid stories that resonate with readers. One of my faves? When hustling to get her son to school, he stopped and asked her to write “You can do all things” on the bottom of his basketball shoes with a Sharpie. In response to her blank look, the nine-year-old explained that “no matter how good or talented you are, once in a while, you need to remind yourself. When you’re in a tough spot, you have to remember who you are. You can’t feel confident every minute of every day.” nonfiction nonfiction nonfiction

And that’s largely what this book is about—making the daily choice to be confident, regardless of the circumstances or challenges before you. That’s a lesson that can’t be learned early enough in life.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5
www.HeatherMonahan.com

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