The Crown Lord

Back in 1846, the course of human history changed as we currently know it. A group of black soldiers arrive on the beach of the northern coast of Virginia where two young siblings, with their black slave, Big Jonah, are walking along the coastline. When the soldiers exit their boat, Big Jonah knows what is going on and is overjoyed! What comes next is the complete reversal of our nation’s history—black slaves to new white slaves. The wealthy blacks are now the dominate class, and the whites are forced to do their will. With reversal in class comes differences in other areas as well. For us, there was the KKK — a group of white men who had a deep hatred for people of color; in this alternate timeline, there is The Crown. The Crown is the black version of the KKK who have a deep hatred for the whites, also known as “pinkies.” The leader of The Crown is The Crown Lord, who has the final say in all matters pertaining to this racist group.

We now fast-forward to the present day. Willie Gibson is the son of the famous Georgia attorney, Tyron Gibson. Willie has had to deal with some tough times in his life, and, as a result, has baggage to share. Willie has had to cope with death, both in the past when his mother and twin sister died in an accident when he was younger, currently after a mega case up North in Detroit, which resulted in the death of his father, and all along in-between. Now alone, he meets an uncle whom he’s never met, and forms some relationships along the way that were far from expected.

The Crown Lord is the growth of Willie as he questions his previous perceptions and thoughts about people and ideas—both earthly and heavenly. Coming up North to Detroit to meet his Uncle Reggie and settle matters pertaining to his father’s death, Willie vows to seek revenge on the “pinkie” who killed his father. Nonetheless, every encounter with people both white and black will make him rethink the way that life is being lived for both himself and everyone; the topic of “loving your neighbor” is one that will be studied extensively for him. William Sirls does an amazing job pulling you into the story; his characters are believable, and at the end, you’ll be asking yourself, “what just happened?!” Issues of class, race, justice, and equality are all discussed in detail. This is a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more.