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The planes coming in low and loud always reminded him of
Kilby, the state prison in Montgomery, where he spent 10
long years. He and his fellow inmates would be out in the
Alabama cold, cutting kudzu from a fence, and those circling
planes teased him with what he was missing.
He was a young man then, just home from fighting overseas,
with a ring in his pocket, intent on asking his girl to
marry him. His friend, Nat “King” Cole was going to help but
when someone threatened Cole’s life and Weary jumped onto
the stage to prevent danger, the plan fell apart. Instead of
asking his girl for marriage, he went to prison for
assaulting a white man, and he asked her not to visit him
anymore.
Nearly ten years later, Cole’s bodyguard came to Kilby with
an offer: Nat “King” Cole needed a driver. He wanted that
driver to be Nathaniel Weary.
In Montgomery, as around the country, much had changed while
Weary was in jail. Television was a novelty when he went in;
when he came out, it was in everybody’s living room. Folks
back in Montgomery were boycotting city buses and another
King – this one, a preacher - was standing up for civil
rights, Weary’s mother had died while he was in Kilby, and
his father didn’t want him talking about that place once he
got out. Los Angeles offered a fresh start. He took the job.
But even a year in LA didn’t dampen the tug of home for
Nathaniel Weary. He didn’t miss the trouble there; it had,
in fact, followed him to California - but he missed his
people something fierce.
He had to find a way to say goodbye.
I really wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish
Driving the King. The books’ first pages had me pretty
well completely lost, so don’t be surprised if that happens
when you try reading it – but don’t be deterred, either.
With the early Civil Rights movement as backdrop, author
Ravi Howard brings together history, pop-culture, and
mid-century music to craft an overall-satisfying story. The
trouble comes with a back-and-forth storyline that takes
some getting used to, but it’s softened by the ease with
which its two main characters move and the friendship they
share. In the end, the back-and-forth is what makes it work.
There’s a certain cinematic feel to this book that’s really
appealing and will captivate readers, once they get more
into the story. If you’re looking for a well-done reel-life
drama, then Driving the King could be that one book. |
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