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Why it matters
Burke uses a crime narrative to portray a society in violent transition and the people struggling to survive its competing powers.
A celebrated work
Flags on the Bayou
James Lee Burke2024 selection · Mystery & crime
Flags on the Bayou
As the Civil War nears its end in Louisiana, formerly enslaved Hannah Laveau and injured abolitionist Wade Lufkin become entangled in an accusation of murder. Their flight unfolds amid collapsing Confederate authority, guerrilla violence, and the uncertain approach of freedom.
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Read this if…
You want lyrical historical crime fiction set amid the moral chaos of war.
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Ideas inside
Civil WarFreedomRacial violenceSurvival
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Edgar Award for Best Novel — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)