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Thomas H. Cook knows how to tell a good story. If you are willing to have a little patience, and let his characters tell their stories at their own pace, you will be rewarded with a disturbing narrative about a terrible event that has irrevocably affected the life of the protagonist. Scarred, those involved tell their story at their own pace and you’ll be left intrigued. It worked in his Edgar Award-winning novel, THE CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR and his previous novel, RED LEAVES. In MASTER OF THE DELTA, Jack Branch thinks back some fifty years to when he, a young teacher from a privileged background, came back to his little Mississippi hometown to perform what he calls an act of noblesse oblige at the local high school. He will teach a course on historic evil, whether in literature, popular media, or history. He is passionate about what he teaches and he motivates his student, especially one - Eddie Miller, the son of a convicted serial killer. To his utmost delight, Eddie is interested in writing an essay about his father in order to learn why his father did what he did, to understand his origins, as well as other things to the discomfort of several people in the community. It is through the actions of this teen that a dark time in the community is reawakened, and not too many people are interested in bringing it back. Eddie’s action brings tragedy, but the only thing we know from the beginning of the story is that Jack Branch survived. Whatever happened was something that was painful to him and he would be left to second-guess himself for the rest of his life. He tells the story in a piecemeal fashion, letting readers figure out the truth slowly. It is this kind of narrative that appeals to loyal readers of Thomas H. Cook and exasperates others. Something big happened and readers are anxious to know what it was. But MASTER OF THE DELTA is not a book to be rushed or skimmed. It is the type of book that will leave you riveted if you let it. Cook is an author who makes reading an experience and you will want to experience what happens here.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, June 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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