This book is so intensely dark and heartbreaking. Essential reading for everyone and really got me thinking about the topic in ways I haven't before. Immensely powerful.

The Barn is a thorough investigation of the murder of Emmett Till and of the land where it happened. Thompson digs deep into the history of the Mississippi Delta - the land, its people and its culture - to build up a complete contextual picture of the seeds of Southern racism and its legacy. The level of detail is at times almost overwhelming, with threads branching off in multiple directions, but there is a sold emotional core at the heart of the narrative.

Rich in reporting and first-person testimony from Till's family, The Barn is a comprehensive examination not just of one case by of a whole culture of racism that leaves a deep scar on the Delta to this day.