Larry Ott was never enough of a man for his father’s standards. Silas “32” Jones excelled and gained respect. As boys they endured a brief, secret friendship doing what boys do – fishing, shooting guns, exchanging tales. Anger, color and lies ended their friendship. Cindy Walker, the town beauty and after one date with Larry, never seen again. The start to a saga that burdened the souls of Larry and 32, taking them from friends to outcasts to heroes. After being accused of raping and murdering Cindy but never convicted, Larry settled into a routine of ridicule. Living at his childhood home with only himself, his dwindling land, chickens and aging mother to care for – nobody cared for him. Scary Larry – a monster just like those in his beloved horror novels. Some 25 years later another young girl goes missing. Silas is back in town acting as constable and the police chief questions Larry. Silas discovers the body of the local drug dealer, a former friend, and on instinct sends his EMT girlfriend to Larry’s house. Larry came home to a monster earlier in the day and is found with a gunshot wound to the chest, barely alive. As he lays in a coma, restrained for the hospital staff’s protection, Silas rediscovers the past he shares with Larry. Old photos, the rifle Larry gave him that ended their friendship, secrets 32 kept from everyone, even himself. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin is a curvy, anguish-ladled story containing a peculiar friendship between two boys, two men that leaves you feeling heartbroken and uplifted at the same time. The first quarter of the book made me twitch with discomfort and dread. Thankfully, Mr. Franklin kept the story pregnant with plenty of secrets, lies and truths so that I was able to finally exhale at the end and let go of the monster that de-railed Larry and 32’s friendship all those years before.
3 3/4 out of 5 DogEars
Okra Book Challenge Pick
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