Devil in the GroveDevil in the Grove
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1949, in Lake County, Florida, a seventeen-year-old white woman said she had been raped by four young Black men. One was killed by a posse, and the others faced trial before an all-white jury, with the notorious Sheriff Willis McCall overseeing the case. Thurgood Marshall, then the NAACP's chief lawyer and only a few years from Brown v. Board of Education, took on their defense, at the risk of his own life. Gilbert King tells the story of the case.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. King drew on FBI files never released before, and the book reads as fast as a legal thriller while showing what Jim Crow justice was really like.
You'll love it if you liked
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great MigrationGood to know
It includes racial violence and police brutality described in detail. The four men, known as the Groveland Four, were posthumously pardoned by Florida in 2019.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #31 of the 198 history books we rank
- #98 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #185 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Devil in the Grove worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. It ranks #185 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Devil in the Grove about?
In 1949, in Lake County, Florida, a seventeen-year-old white woman said she had been raped by four young Black men. One was killed by a posse, and the others faced trial before an all-white jury, with the notorious Sheriff Willis McCall overseeing the case. Thurgood Marshall, then the NAACP's chief lawyer and only a few years from Brown v. Board of Education, took on their defense, at the risk of his own life. Gilbert King tells the story of the case.
How long does it take to read Devil in the Grove?
About 12 hours (472 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Devil in the Grove won?
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2013).
What should I read after Devil in the Grove?
If you liked it, try Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.