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2.54k reviews for:
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
Timothy Egan
4.34 AVERAGE
2.54k reviews for:
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
Timothy Egan
4.34 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75 stars. First the bad, the writing style often dragged for me, but that may be because I don’t read much nonfiction.
Now to the good - this is a cautionary tale of what is currently happening in the United States today. We are constantly hearing rhetoric similar to what the KKK said 100 years ago with regard to race, family, and eugenics. I challenge anyone who identifies as MAGA to read this book and challenge me on this point. Today, the scary part is the “bad guy” was allowed into the White House, along with his supporters. The writer did a fantastic job at drawling those parallels to modern day.
Now to the good - this is a cautionary tale of what is currently happening in the United States today. We are constantly hearing rhetoric similar to what the KKK said 100 years ago with regard to race, family, and eugenics. I challenge anyone who identifies as MAGA to read this book and challenge me on this point. Today, the scary part is the “bad guy” was allowed into the White House, along with his supporters. The writer did a fantastic job at drawling those parallels to modern day.
Just not holding my interest; moving too slowly
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Dense and informative
challenging
informative
fast-paced
"'Isn't it strange that with all our educational advantages, ...citizens could be induced to pay $10 for the privilege of hating their neighbors and wearing a sheet?' To D.C. Stephenson, it wasn't strange at all. Steve's 1922 epiphany in Evansville—that he could make far more money from the renewable hate of everyday white people than he could ever make as an honest businessman or a member of Congress—was brilliant. And true."
"A Fever in the Heartland" is part historical narrative and part a chilling reflection of our current reality. Egan packed a wealth of information into just 356 pages. I ran out of "important people" tabs more than once. I appreciated the snippets of information about political leaders and current laws without overwhelming me or making me feel like I was reading a textbook. Some reviews expressed dissatisfaction with the number of people introduced without any real impact on the story, but I thought it was done effectively. I was unaware that there were two different iterations of the Klan, and though I knew it had infiltrated the government, it was shocking to see how blatant it was.
Some of my favorite reading moments were when Egan couldn’t help but include snide remarks about the hypocrisy of the Klan members, when he explained the story behind the "Fighting Irish" from Notre Dame, and acts of defiance, like the kosher food store that displayed a Star of David in its window despite threats from the Klan. I also appreciated that Egan attempted to create a picture of the victims. Madge Oberholtzer received the respect and recognition she deserves for her role in speaking out against Stephenson. However, I think there was a missed opportunity to outright state that the voices of other victims, Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, had been blatantly and admittedly ignored until a white woman was brave enough to speak out. This is not to detract from Oberholtzer's strength and courage but to remind us to listen to victims.
Lastly, the parallels to our current reality are horrifying. Klan-backed individuals are quoted as saying, "Keep America a Land for Americans" and "Build a wall of steel, a wall as high as heaven against immigrants." Steve's need to be loved, he needed to have others know he was loved and to love himself. Egan notes that even though it may be true that Steve's followers didn’t know about his transgressions, it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway because they "wanted to believe." Steve did not hide the fact that he "was the law." One writer suggested the Klan rose to power due to small-town life and people's need for something to believe in, originally fueled by ignorance, which then spread uncontrollably to a larger number of people. Still, as much as many wanted to pretend that the Klan was a club of likeminded gentlemen, the followers knew what they were signing up for. The similarities to today's reality are uncanny and reminiscent of the current convicted felon whose followers deemed him fit to run a country, proudly wearing red hats emblazoned with messages of hate and spewing tired and repackaged racist phrases.
In the acknowledgements, Egan quotes Oscar Wilde, who said, "The only duty we owe to history is to rewrite it." This book challenges us to recognize our responsibility to take action against bigotry and hate, ensuring that we shape a future that avoids repeating the atrocities of the past.
"A Fever in the Heartland" is part historical narrative and part a chilling reflection of our current reality. Egan packed a wealth of information into just 356 pages. I ran out of "important people" tabs more than once. I appreciated the snippets of information about political leaders and current laws without overwhelming me or making me feel like I was reading a textbook. Some reviews expressed dissatisfaction with the number of people introduced without any real impact on the story, but I thought it was done effectively. I was unaware that there were two different iterations of the Klan, and though I knew it had infiltrated the government, it was shocking to see how blatant it was.
Some of my favorite reading moments were when Egan couldn’t help but include snide remarks about the hypocrisy of the Klan members, when he explained the story behind the "Fighting Irish" from Notre Dame, and acts of defiance, like the kosher food store that displayed a Star of David in its window despite threats from the Klan. I also appreciated that Egan attempted to create a picture of the victims. Madge Oberholtzer received the respect and recognition she deserves for her role in speaking out against Stephenson. However, I think there was a missed opportunity to outright state that the voices of other victims, Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, had been blatantly and admittedly ignored until a white woman was brave enough to speak out. This is not to detract from Oberholtzer's strength and courage but to remind us to listen to victims.
Lastly, the parallels to our current reality are horrifying. Klan-backed individuals are quoted as saying, "Keep America a Land for Americans" and "Build a wall of steel, a wall as high as heaven against immigrants." Steve's need to be loved, he needed to have others know he was loved and to love himself. Egan notes that even though it may be true that Steve's followers didn’t know about his transgressions, it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway because they "wanted to believe." Steve did not hide the fact that he "was the law." One writer suggested the Klan rose to power due to small-town life and people's need for something to believe in, originally fueled by ignorance, which then spread uncontrollably to a larger number of people. Still, as much as many wanted to pretend that the Klan was a club of likeminded gentlemen, the followers knew what they were signing up for. The similarities to today's reality are uncanny and reminiscent of the current convicted felon whose followers deemed him fit to run a country, proudly wearing red hats emblazoned with messages of hate and spewing tired and repackaged racist phrases.
In the acknowledgements, Egan quotes Oscar Wilde, who said, "The only duty we owe to history is to rewrite it." This book challenges us to recognize our responsibility to take action against bigotry and hate, ensuring that we shape a future that avoids repeating the atrocities of the past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This nonfiction book does not hold back on its punches. I am just left feeling:
Shocked. Horrified. Outraged. Incredulous.
The author states “The following story is true. Dialogue and internal monologue are verbatim from court testimony, oral histories, autobiographies, letters, diaries, and newspaper quotes.”
This should be required reading for anyone and everyone who lives in Indiana or is from Indiana or has ever lived in Indiana. 100% this should be used in highschools and/or college classes. A terrible and important story.