I don’t care how many courses you take or how many books you read. You’ll never understand what it means to be a Negro. You’ll never face the discrimination they see everyday. You’ll never struggle the way they do.
-Varian Johnson, The Parker Inheritance
The Parker Inheritance is one of my favorite books that we have read to far. It is a puzzle mystery book that explores critical topics like race, gender, sexuality and touches on alcoholism. I read this whole 331 page book in two days. Not because I was on a time crunch, but because I was unable to put it down. The mystery and fight for social justice had me turning every page, eager to see what would happen next. One of my favorite parts of the book was how each chapter shifted through the past and present, as they piece together a story of an African American family that was driven out of town during Jim Crow laws in 1950s.
When 12-year old Candice moves from Atlanta, Georgia to Lambert, South Carolina, she is not happy. The cause of the move was because of her parents divorce. She had to uproot the life she knew in Atlanta, to live in her dead Grandmother’s house in Lambert. When Candice finds a letter alluding to a town tragedy and a mysterious fortune, she teams up with her new found friend, Brandon to solve the puzzle.
Brandon and Candice turn into a dynamic-duo to ingeniously puzzle out the clues of the left inheritance. They scour the internet, sift through old yearbooks and photos, and even conduct interviews. Both Candice and Brandon face many people who ridicule them for their beliefs and race. They become marginalized from their classmates, and people of the past. However, they don’t let that get in the way of solving the puzzle. They continue to make choices for a better world. They show love to those they interact with, and even learn to develop their own voice.
One of the most unnoticed things in the book that carries much significance is the first and last chapter of the book. Both the first and last chapter of the book are written in white ink, on black paper. These are the only two chapters in the book that are written from the perspective of Abigail, Candice’s grandmother. I think that author, Varian Johnson, chose to write the first and last chapter on black paper, because that Abigail lived unapologetically. She was a powerful, African American woman who stood up for what she believed in. She didn’t let the color of her skin get in the way of what she wanted/ believed in. This is why author, Varian Johnson made such a statement with his choice of paper and text.
Author Varian Johnson does not shy away from difficult issues presented in the text. In The Parker Inheritance, he tackles real-life issues based off of his real life experiences as an African American. Much of the novel was inspired by an interaction with his brother while he was in High School.
When Varian Johnson went to pick up his brother from the airport, they were unexpectedly stopped by a white cop. The cop suggested to Varian and his twin brother that they looked “out of place”, when in fact, they had a purpose and a reason of being there. The police officer asked to inspect their bags and their car. He was looking for drugs. All the police officer saw was what he wanted to see: two black kids that must have been drug dealers.
How it could be a danger to those without power… and also how we could manipulate that perception to create a level playing field. What if we dressed in a different way? Talked in a different way? Had different friends? How much of yourself is worth giving up if it allows you a chance to be successful? To live without fear? To survive?”
-Varian Johnson
