David Baldacci — A Calamity of Souls - with Cheryl Head

Watch author David Baldacci's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

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This event is in partnership with PEN/Faulkner.

Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.

Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.

Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.

Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America.

Baldacci is in conversation with Cheryl A. Head. Head writes the award-winning, Charlie Mack Motown Mysteries, set in Detroit, and whose female PI protagonist is queer and black. Head’s newest book, Time’s Undoing, is a historical crime-fiction novel based on her family’s personal tragedy. Time’s Undoing was named a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; the Agatha and Lefty Awards; as well as an Indie Next Pick for March 2023 and 2024. Head’s books are included in the Special Collections of the State of Michigan Library. Head is Chair of the Board of the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.