A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as Told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel) by Percival Everett,James Kincaid

This reader had great hopes for any book by the great writer, Percival Everett; however, my hopes were quickly dashed by this disjointed and confusing book. The literary affectation in this book is that it purports to be a ghostwritten account by Strom Thurmond, one of the most bigoted senators to ever hold sway in Congress. To add to the confusion, all of the many characters exchange letters, e-mails, and memos among themselves, the publisher, and each of their representatives. The result of this is so many characters with similar styles of writing that this reader was left in a confused state. I could readily see a glimpse of the send-up of publishing, celebrity books—no matter how ludicrous—and how authors leverage fame to advance their pet projects. I just can’t figure out how this book would matter.