The Lyncher In Me

In June 1920, in Duluth, Minnesota, a mob of over 10,000 convened upon the police station, inflamed by the rumor that black circus workers had raped a white teenage girl&mdash;charges that would later be proven false. Three men were dragged from their cells and lynched in front of the cheering crowd.<br /><br />More than eighty years later, Warren Read&mdash;a fourth-grade teacher, devoted partner, and father to three boys&mdash;plugged his mother&#39;s maiden name into a computer search engine, then clicked on a link to a newspaper article that would forever alter his understanding of himself. Louis Dondino, his beloved great-grandfather, had incited the deadly riot on that dark summer night decades before.<br /><br />In his poignant memoir, Read explores the perspectives of both the victims and the perpetrators of this heinous crime. He investigates the impact&mdash;the denial and anger&mdash;that the long-held secrets had on his family. Through this examination of the generations affected by one horrific night, he discovers we must each take responsibility for &quot;our deep-seated fears that lead us to emotional, social, or physical violence.&quot;