James Lee Burke has often alluded to the South's Civil War history in the past and has even set whole novels during that period, so this is not new territory for him. Flags on the Bayou, however, has the feel of being Burke's final statement on the impact that slavery and a war to defend slavery still has on America's southern region today. As he so often does, Burke reminds readers again that evil men are capable of just about any level of violence toward others - and he does it here in very explicit prose.
The novel is set in late 1863, a few months after the tides of war have turned against the Confederate states for good. During a period in which Southern commanders are trying to regroup their armies and come up with an effective plan to counter major defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, New Iberia, Louisiana, finds itself plagued by a group of Southern irregulars under the leadership of a man who thrives on murder, rape, and looting.
Burke tells his story through the eyes of several diverse characters whose fates suddenly seem to be tied together:
- Wade Lufkin - the pacifist nephew of an elderly plantation owner who has taken him in
- Pierre Cauchon - the local sheriff who gets little respect from anyone, including the military, wealthy whites, and slaves, but who doggedly keeps trying to enforce the law
- Hannah Laveau - a slave, and cousin of the famous Marie Laveau, who wants more than anything else to find the young son she lost during the Battle of Shiloh
- Florence Milton - a white woman (she is antislavery) who was raised in the North but still appreciates some attributes of Southern society
- Colonel Carleton Hayes - the vicious leader of a large contingent of irregulars/terrorists who have more control over southwest Louisiana than anyone else
- Darla Babineaux - a slave woman who "jumps the broom" with Pierre Cauchon and has grown to love and depend on him
This is probably not the book for me, even though it is an interesting time period to read about.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand that. I've studied the War since I was a kid and became fascinated by the "romance" of the cavalry soldiers on both sides. I'm fascinated today to read all the revisionary stuff coming out of the Woke Era. Some of it is legitimate, some of it is a stretch, and some of it is filled with lies. The problem is, it's hard sometimes to tell which is which.
DeleteHi Sam, I have heard good things about James Lee Burke. A writer isn't always the best judge of their best book. My guess Flags On The Bayou has a great deal of meaning for Burke and he was hoping the readers would love it too.
ReplyDeleteI think that's exactly right, Kathy. Burke is well into his eighties now, and he wants to say a lot of serious things in his remaining books. He's been dipping a toe into mysticism and the like for a while now, but in a crime thriller that's not unusual. It's more unusual in historical fiction, and that's probably why I began to find it more jarring than helpful. I will always be an admirer of him and his work, however, and I'm grateful he's still finding the energy to write new novels.
Delete