King, Gilbert

THE EXECUTION OF WILLIE FRANCIS: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South

 

“A well-wrought tale of murder, secrets, lies and state-sponsored and state-botched retribution.

The informed and reader-friendly discussion of the legal issues and maneuvers attending the Francis appeal, including the intriguing backstage drama at the nation’s highest court, is reason enough to recommend this story, but King’s masterful applications of Bayou State color set this book apart. Ably navigating the bewildering gradations of heritage and race that were so important in postwar Louisiana, he drenches these pages with the lore of the “cursed” Cajun town of St. Martinville, locus of the Thomas murder and terminus of the fictional “Evangeline,” made famous in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem of the same name.

Injustice, inhumanity and death, all made strangely charming and unforgettable.”

Library Journal

Starred Review and Editor’s Pick

“Even readers who do not follow the vagaries of the criminal justice system will be sucked in by this story of Willie Francis, a 17-year-old black youth convicted of killing a local white pharmacist. From the first page to the last, King holds our attention with gripping and disturbing details. Most of all, he makes us wonder if, in view of the current controversy over the death penalty, this scenario could happen today. Highly recommended for all libraries.”

Sister Helen praises the book:

“Gilbert King transforms abstract arguments over Louisiana's right to re-execute a condemned youth into a profound story of flesh and blood. His impassioned portrait of the unlikely bond between two young Catholics, Willie Francis and his undaunted lawyer, Bertrand DeBlanc, is more than a heartwarming affirmation of love and humanity.   It's a vitally important story and if you want to better understand America's troubling legacy of capital punishment, read this book.” 

                    --Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking