Description
In 1946, a young female attorney
from New York City attempts the impossible: attaining justice for a
black man in the Deep South.
Regina Robichard works for
Thurgood Marshall, who receives an unusual letter asking the NAACP to
investigate the murder of a returning black war hero. It is signed by M.
P. Calhoun, the most reclusive author in the country.
As a child, Regina was captivated by Calhoun’s The Secret of Magic, a novel in which white and black children played together in a magical forest.
Once down in Mississippi, Regina finds that nothing in the South is as it seems. She must navigate the muddy waters of racism, relationships, and her own tragic past. The Secret of Magic brilliantly explores the power of stories and those who tell them.
About the Author
Deborah Johnson is the author of The Air Between Us, which received the Mississippi Library Association Award for fiction. She now lives in Columbus, Mississippi, and is working on her next novel.
Praise for The Secret of Magic…
"Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." —Booklist
“Passionate . . . nuanced . . .provocative.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history,
part mystery—never disappointing. Like The South she tragically
portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller.” —Robert Hicks, New York Times–bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country “The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is
in Deborah Johnson’s powerful writing, creating character and story
that will linger long after the reading.” —Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie
“Johnson’s story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a
seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!” —Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society
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In 1946, a young female attorney from New York City attempts the impossible: attaining justice for a black man in the Deep South.
Regina Robichard works for Thurgood Marshall, who receives an unusual letter asking the NAACP to investigate the murder of a returning black war hero. It is signed by M. P. Calhoun, the most reclusive author in the country.