The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia has been out three weeks, long enough for me to get some feedback. As expected, the results are mixed.
I’m delighted when I hear that someone enjoyed the book. “You addressed a very difficult and dark subject very well,” said one reader. “Well done,” said another.
I also was pleased to hear from Daniel DeButts, a descendant of two of the men implicated in Shedrick Thompson’s death. DeButts posted on my Facebook page that he had read the book, and added, “My family was surely part of it, as you say. They made sure he was not on Mt. Welby (the family farm) when they strung him up. Just over the fence on someone else’s land.”
And two of Thompson’s descendants, after hearing about the project, wrote to set up an interview. I’ll meet with them later this month.
But I’m puzzled by some of the things I’ve heard. When I could not find the book at the Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail in downtown Warrenton last week, I asked if they would be carrying it. The answer: Because of the “sensitive” nature of the book, board approval was required before it could appear on their shelves.
And a person related to key figures in the story was so upset by publication that she vowed never to read the book or even look at the cover. No good can come from reviving such an unpleasant topic, she said.
I disagree with her. To me, the book is not a revival of the Thompson tale. Rather, given all the efforts, past and present, to hide what happened, it’s a first-time telling.
P.S.: I’ll be in Richmond this Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. at the Black History Museum of Virginia. The museum, located at 122 W. Leigh St., calls the event “Literary Saturday.” I’ll be talking about the book and about lynching in Virginia. Hope to see you there.
Jim Hall 
2 responses to “Some feedback about the book is puzzling”
Reblogged this on The Present and The Past and commented:
I agree with the author that the telling is important.
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As a native to the area, I’m quite disheartened to hear about the response you received from the Fauquier History Museum and the Old Jail. History is not always easy to digest, but that does not mean it is something that should be swept under the rug. I’d say it is critical this book is readily available at historical sites in Fauquier County to give an accurate depiction of the events that took place in the area. We cannot pick and choose the actions of our forefathers, but I truly believe we can improve our world today by recognizing their mistakes. I wish you the best of luck getting the book out, you’re telling an important story.
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