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| Plot Summary of Scorched Earth |
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Bantam, Apr 2002, 24.95, 338 pp.
ISBN: 0553801767
In Good Hope, Virginia, no one voices an unkind word when black man Elijah Waddell and white woman Clare Epps married. When Clare gives birth to their daughter born without a brain, the infant dies almost immediately. Clare's grandmother Rosy, a key member of the Victory Baptist Church, has her great-granddaughter Nora Carol buried in her church's all-white cemetery. However, the church deacons remove the casket from the Victory Baptist Cemetery and has Nora Carol reburied at the nearby black Zebulon Baptist Church.
That same night the Victory Baptist Church is destroyed and Elijah is arrested, charged with arson as he is caught watching the fire. Judge Baron orders former Assistant District Attorney Nat Deeds to return home from Richmond to defend Elijah. Nat does not want the case and prefers Elijah to plea bargain. However, the case turns to a murder charge when the cooling ashes of the church reveal the remains of the teenage daughter of redneck Sheriff Talley.
SCORCHED EARTH is an exciting small town southern drama that looks deep into racial relationships from various perspectives. The story line is loaded with action though contains a twist too many as the arson charge already provided readers with incredible insight into the various characters. The cast except for the stereotyped sheriff is a deep, complex group whose interrelationships add fathoms to them so that the audience understands each one's values and beliefs. David L. Robbins turns a bright spotlight on death and race so that those fans that appreciate a strong human drama will want to read.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Scorched Earth |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Any non-mystery subplot?
- minority/women/homosexual issues
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Crime Thriller
Yes
Who's the terrorist enemy here?
- law enforcement gone bad
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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