TO WALK HUMBLY

Joseph offers a sweeping saga highlighting how race and religion shape people’s lives in the second book of his Chicago Trilogy, following To Love Mercy (2006).

It’s 1952, and a project of so-called “Urban Renewal” is in full swing in Bronzeville, Chicago’s predominantly Black neighborhood. With Jim Crow laws still in effect, the government is using the power of eminent domain to destroy the community, forcing families out of their homes. However, the novel’s plot centers mainly on a lost family heirloom—a small silver piece with Hebrew markings. Steve Feinberg, a white Jewish boy from Hyde Park, and Jesse Owens Trimble—a Black youngster from Bronzeville known around the neighborhood as “Sass,” due to his “smart mouth,” as Steve puts it—live very different lives. They’re connected through Mattie, Sass’ mom who works at the ticket counter at the Calumet Theater, which is owned by Mister Nate, Steve’s grandfather. The two leave the theater to search for the “silver thing” after Mister Nate loses it and unjustly accuses Sass of stealing it and they end up traveling all over the city. Later reunited by chance in high school, Steve and Sass’ shared love of jazz has them joining an a cappella group together, eventually leading them into the orbit of alto sax player and notorious gangster Mister Lucky. Intriguingly, the work goes on to explore how Chicago’s 1950s jazz scene served as an extension of the local civil rights movement. Sass’ troublesome older brother, Isaiah, known as “Nubby,” works for Mister Lucky running numbers, bringing trouble into his loved ones’ lives. The richly developed characters, including Dora, an aging Sunday school teacher who works for the Feinbergs as a maid, and Ezell, a boy with a stutter who has a natural ability to defuse conflict, are among the book’s strengths. Throughout the story, Joseph frequently reminds readers how socioeconomic factors influence how people interact with the world. The cast is large and diverse, and their often charming, relatable interactions will draw readers deeply into the story.

A vibrant tale of 1950s Chicago.