Color of Law: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: David Milofsky's COLOR OF LAW is a wonderful, moving portrait...
Review: David Milofsky's COLOR OF LAW is a wonderful, moving portrait of a 1959 racially motivated murder and a ground breaking Civil Rights trial that occurs 20 years later. Milofsky explores the limits of the legal system and creates vivid, compelling characters whose lives intersect in unexpected and powerful ways.
The novel takes place in Milwaukee and opens with the murder of a young black man, Jimmmy Norman, who has been stopped for a routine traffic violation. John Rogan, a police officer, claims that he shot Norman in self-defense. A second policeman, a witness to the murder, Tommy Paley, concurs with Rogan's story. Though the community is outraged by the murder, the case soon fades from public consciousness after the two officers are expelled from the police force. But 20 years later, a broken Tommy Paley telephones a newspaper reporter, Bob Joseph, and says that his account of the killing years ago was a lie.
The novel has a wonderful narrative sweep; Milofsky layers plot and character, creating a textured, rich world. The reader learns about politics and life in Milwaukee; the city is a charcter in its own right. We meet a mayoral candidate, the intellectual Andy Hedig, who is running against incumbent Emil Mueller. The book follows the lives of the candidates, of the police officers, of Jimmy Norman's sister, the proud, angry Oliva Brown who is intent on seeking justice on behalf of her dead brother. We meet Hedig's wife, Sarah, and watch as the reporter, Bob Joseph, becomes drawn to her. The novel portrays Charlie Simon, the lawyer representing Olivia Brown. He believes there may have been official complicity to conceal the murder, and he seeks justice on behalf of Jimmy but also wants to win the trial for the sake of victory alone. The trial itself is a gripping courtroom drama which changes the lives of many of the characters. The novel's end surprises with its twists of plot.
The book is tough and tender, beautifully described. With clear, elegant prose and profound observations about life, David Milofsky weaves a story that captures the heart of a search for justice and a search for love, a tale that lingers long after the novel ends.