A new favorite by Pitts?
Together, a group of readers and I have read (some were a reread for a few of us) though Leonard Pitts Jr.’s backlist and let me tell you, it was amazing. Reading them in order of publication we really got a chance to see him hone his craft. From the beginning though, we could see his strength, his ability to write well-developed characters.
54 Miles was new to me (I had been saving it to read with the group), it followed some characters from his previous book The Last Thing You Surrender and I loved it even more than Surrender. It even rivals my absolute favorite by him, Freeman so I guess I’ll just say the two are tied for that spot.
A brief summary of 54 Miles without giving too much away: A historical fictional novel that follows a family forced to confront its tumultuous past during a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. The title references the 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
I highly recommend reading his books, he’s an underrated gem here on bookstagram and I hope more and more find his books.
My order:
- Freeman
- 54 Miles
- The Last Thing You Surrender
- Grant Park
- Before I Forget
The group has decided we don’t want to stop just yet so we will be reading one of his nonfiction books this month – Forward from this Moment So I’ll keep you posted on where that one falls in my order.
If you only read one by him, please make it Freeman. That book is like no other and one I have pushed into so many hands, every one reporting back that they absolutely loved it.
Find 54 Miles at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
