The Tragedy of Brady Sims

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The Tragedy of Brady Sims, a simple yet profound novella set in the fictional town of Bayonne, Louisiana, offers an unconcealed glimpse of the rural South. Author Ernest J. Gaines opens the story with a bang. While Jean-Pierre is being escorted from the courtroom following his conviction for robbery and murder, his father, Brady Sims, shoots and kills him. Brady requests two hours of freedom before his arrest, which Sheriff Mapes shockingly grants him. Meanwhile, twenty-eight-year-old reporter Louis Guerin is assigned to write a human interest story on Brady. He goes to the local barbershop in hopes of learning about Brady’s past from the barbers and customers who regularly visit. Louis’s investigation reveals the racial divide and the tragic injustices of Bayonne that lead to Brady’s decision to take his son’s life.

This dialogue-heavy novella reads like a play. Rich with unique voices, Gaines’s community of compelling characters tells interconnected stories with humor and empathy. Gaines nestles Brady’s story into the greater narrative of African Americans in the 1940s, particularly through discussion of The Great Migration, and illuminates the continued effects of racism in America today. The quick and zany small-town talk in The Tragedy of Brady Sims uncovers the ugliness of racial injustices, past and present.


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Author Ernest J. Gaines
Star Count 4/5
Format Trade
Page Count 128 pages
Publisher Vintage
Publish Date 2017-Aug-29
ISBN 9780525434467
Amazon Buy this Book
Issue January 2018
Category Historical Fiction
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