The Trees is the first book that I’ve read by Percival Everett. It is surprisingly funny for a book about murders, racism, and injustice. Maybe it would have been less surprising if I had read Everett before. 

 

The Trees is centered in the town of Money, Mississippi, where Emmett Till was lynched. It starts when one of the relatives of the Bryant family, the family that lynched Till, is found dead. With him is a second dead body that eerily resembles Emmett Till. Soon after, the police lose track of the black man’s body, until it mysteriously reappears with a second dead Bryant family member. Two members of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are dispatched to help solve the mystery of the disappearing and reappearing body, while eerily similar murders start happening all over the country. 

 

This book is of the allegory/satire variety. It does a great job of balancing brutality and absurd humor. At the beginning, I thought I was in for a straightforward(ish) murder mystery, but the story took a turn towards the surreal. This was a quick read. I appreciated how it made me angry but also made me laugh. I think this will be a top Tournament of Books contender!