Liberal Arts Faculty Books
Title
Hell at the Breech: A Novel
Files
Description
In 1897, in the rural southwestern area of Alabama known as Mitcham Beat, an aspiring politician is mysteriously murdered. Seeking retribution, his outraged friends -- mostly poor cotton farmers -- form a secret society, Hell-at-the-Breech, to punish the townspeople they believe are responsible. The hooded members of this gang wage a bloody year-long campaign of terror that culminates in a massacre, where the innocent suffer alongside the guilty. Caught in the maelstrom of the Mitcham War are four people: the county's aging sheriff, sympathetic to both sides; the widowed midwife who delivered nearly every member of Hell-at-the-Breech; a ruthless detective who wages his own private war against the gang; and a young store clerk harboring a terrible secret. Based on incidents that occurred a few miles from the author's childhood home, Hell at the Breech chronicles the dark events of dark days, events that lead the people involved to discover their capacity for good, for evil, or for both. It is a mesmerizing and unforgettable display of talent by a writer of immeasurable gifts.
ISBN
9780688167417
Publication Date
5-27-2003
Relational Format
book
Department
English
Publisher
William Morrow
Disciplines
Fiction
Recommended Citation
Franklin, Tom, "Hell at the Breech: A Novel" (2003). Liberal Arts Faculty Books. 198.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/libarts_book/198