Review done by Richard Zell Donovan, May 2024.

The subtitle is “The Klu Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them”. The hard copy paper version is 432 pages long. I listened to this unabridged book on an Audible podcast whilst biking.

Egan also wrote the 2009 book called “Big Burn” about fire, forest and community dynamics in the Pacific Northwest (subtitled “Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America”, which I did a separate earlier book review on and is available on this blog.

This is a VERY different book. It is both an unsettling and cautionary (non-fiction like Big Burn) about the Klu Klux Klan in the 1920’s in the state of Indiana. Unsettling because it provides history on atrocities committed by Klan members in Indiana – lynchings, rapes, harassment and outright racism of all kinds against Black, Irish, Catholics and Jews in the USA,, and attempts and achievements in affecting political dynamics not just in Indiana but across the USA. In a sad way it is also an inspiring story about a woman raped by a Klu Klux Klan “Grand Dragon” (leader) who succeeds in helping to help to bring down a racist organization and movement. I won’t go much further, but I found the story disturbing because of the atrocities committed. Having lived in the South, I was aware of the Klan, but this book provides details I was not aware of. It also seemed cautionary to me as a story of how an organization, and certain men (one in particular) manipulated politicians and journalists to affect mass discriminatory actions – something I have fear about in our current politics.

I recommend the book. It was easy to listen to and well done.