The Secret of Magic
Published on 12. February 2015
416 pages
978-0-241-19796-7 (ISBN)
Description
'[An] addictive tale of intrigue' - the Independent
In 1946 Regina Robichard is a rarity. A young New York civil rights lawyer, working for Thurgood Marshall, Reggie stumbles across a letter asking her boss to investigate the case of a young black soldier whose body has been found floating in the river in Mississippi. It fires her zeal.
For Reggie, justice is not the only draw to this case. The letter is signed by the reclusive M. P. Calhoun, author of one of the most banned books in the country, a book Reggie loved as a child, about the friendship between three children, black and white, a magical forest - and a murder.
Reggie has just three weeks in the South to investigate. But once down in Mississippi, amid the intoxicating landscape of cotton fields and lush plantations, Reggie not only finds herself further away from New York than she had ever imagined, but walking directly into M. P. Calhoun's book, a place where more than one type of justice exists.
In 1946 Regina Robichard is a rarity. A young New York civil rights lawyer, working for Thurgood Marshall, Reggie stumbles across a letter asking her boss to investigate the case of a young black soldier whose body has been found floating in the river in Mississippi. It fires her zeal.
For Reggie, justice is not the only draw to this case. The letter is signed by the reclusive M. P. Calhoun, author of one of the most banned books in the country, a book Reggie loved as a child, about the friendship between three children, black and white, a magical forest - and a murder.
Reggie has just three weeks in the South to investigate. But once down in Mississippi, amid the intoxicating landscape of cotton fields and lush plantations, Reggie not only finds herself further away from New York than she had ever imagined, but walking directly into M. P. Calhoun's book, a place where more than one type of justice exists.
Reviews / Votes
'There are a million metaphors I could use to describe Deborah Johnson's writing in The Secret of Magic-but all of them are inadequate in conveying the ebb and flow of her phrasing or the care in crafting her characters.... If you liked The Help, you'll love this one!' * Entertainment Weekly * [An] addictive tale of intrigue. * the Independent * A powerful portrait of the Deep South in the year before the civil rights movement and of a society in which black and white lead lives that are segregated yet deeply intertwined. * Sunday Times * [Johnson's] an astute observer of the social nuances of segregated America and Mississippi itself. * Daily Mail * Breakout Title: Add Deborah Johnson's addictive The Secret of Magic to your bookshelf. * Stylist * Written with such charm that it is a beguiling read...A wonderful and clever read. Four stars. * The Lady *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
File size
1,50 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-241-19796-7 (9780241197967)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Deborah Johnson is the author of The Air Between Us, which received the Mississippi Library Association Award for Fiction. She lives in Columbus, Mississippi, and is working on her next novel.
