Class divisions are blurred as the white community against the nine tries to purify the image of the two girls, Victoria and Ruby. On the other hand, the defense tries to discredit Victoria and Ruby as a prostitute and white trash.
When Ruby Bates decides to alter her testimony, there is a ray of hope for the defense, but will it be enough to break down the walls of racial hatred that are embedded in the community and Southern culture? Will the defense have a fair trial instead of the previous trial that was a travesty of southern justice?
Ellen Feldman’s writing is so deeply rich, her dialog begs to be read aloud. The voice of Ruby is brilliantly written and a treasure to savor. Not since Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird has the Southern dialect been so artfully written and emulated with such poetic craft. Ruby is a complex emotional character in flux. Yet, her speech is always entertaining and genuine, down to earth and charming with a plethora of witty unforgettable similes.
This story may surprise and shock some who read it, but should it? The ugly truth is that Jim Crow did exist and still does today. This division of race was unfair, unjust, and hopelessly unbeatable. Books like Scottsboro are essential to facing the truth as we continue to see racial and ethnic hatred in the global arena. The greatest fear is burying the past in ignorance. Scottsboro is a hypnotic and haunting novel destined to become a classic. Highly recommended.
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