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A Savage Wisdom
This novel is an imaginative reconstruction of the life of the only woman executed in Louisiana's electric chair.
"Here is a powerful, page-turning account of crime and punishment, told in terms of the literary tradition of true crime stories that includes Capote’s In Cold Blood and Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song. Norman German has created a worthy companion to and version of this all-American genre." George Garrett, novelist and poet laureate of Virginia
"Norman German’s novel follows the hard life and heinous crimes of Toni Jo Henry, the first and only woman to die in Louisiana’s infamous electric chair. The novel meets this bone-chilling story head-on, and it leaves the reader burning with the heartless brutality of the tale. Read A Savage Wisdom to see the darkness and comprehend its cold light." Dayne Sherman, author of Welcome to the Fallen Paradise
"Here is a powerful, page-turning account of crime and punishment, told in terms of the literary tradition of true crime stories that includes Capote’s In Cold Blood and Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song. Norman German has created a worthy companion to and version of this all-American genre." George Garrett, novelist and poet laureate of Virginia
"Norman German’s novel follows the hard life and heinous crimes of Toni Jo Henry, the first and only woman to die in Louisiana’s infamous electric chair. The novel meets this bone-chilling story head-on, and it leaves the reader burning with the heartless brutality of the tale. Read A Savage Wisdom to see the darkness and comprehend its cold light." Dayne Sherman, author of Welcome to the Fallen Paradise
- GenresHistorical Fiction
263 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2008
8 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Norman German
12 books4 followersDr. German has degrees in history, pre-law, philosophy, and English from McNeese State, the University of Texas, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has taught at Lamar University, Northwestern State in Natchitoches, and, for twenty-one years, Southeastern Louisiana University.
He claims to have attended UT on a Vampire Scholarship, selling two pints of plasma per week in order to buy food to make more plasma to sell.
A specialist in twentieth-century American literature, he has also published award-winning short stories, novels, poems, and literary criticism. His stories have appeared in commercial and literary magazines, including Shenandoah, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Sport Fishing, and Salt Water Sportsman. His scholarly articles cover a wide range of major American authors: Ernest Hemingway, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Raymond Carver, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, James Dickey, Anthony Hecht, and others. He has also been the fiction editor of Louisiana Literature for fifteen years.
Ernest Gaines awarded his novel No Other World first prize in the 1991 Deep South Writers Contest. The work, published by Blue Heron Press, fictionalizes the life of Coincoin, the ex-slave who became a slaveholder and founded Melrose Plantation, near Natchitoches.
Published by Thunder Rain Publishing Corp. in August of 2008, German’s third novel, A Savage Wisdom, was reviewed as “a work of exceptional literary merit” and is now in its second printing. As a Kindle book on Amazon.com, the novel has reached #5 in the competitive True Crime category.
German has won numerous awards for his lively and informative teaching style. In 2004, he won a three-year position as Southeastern’s Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities.
A self-proclaimed home-body, German has nevertheless hitchhiked through Europe, fished in Alaska, and explored Hawaii for a month.
His baseball novel Switch-Pitchers will be published by BlueWater Press of Florida in May of 2010. In the novel, Ernest Hemingway smuggles twin Cuban pitchers to the U.S. for a shot at major-league fame.
German is currently working on a thriller set in the Atchafalaya Swamp and the marshes of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. The working titles are Controlled Burn or Catch a Falling Knife.
He claims to have attended UT on a Vampire Scholarship, selling two pints of plasma per week in order to buy food to make more plasma to sell.
A specialist in twentieth-century American literature, he has also published award-winning short stories, novels, poems, and literary criticism. His stories have appeared in commercial and literary magazines, including Shenandoah, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Sport Fishing, and Salt Water Sportsman. His scholarly articles cover a wide range of major American authors: Ernest Hemingway, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Raymond Carver, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, James Dickey, Anthony Hecht, and others. He has also been the fiction editor of Louisiana Literature for fifteen years.
Ernest Gaines awarded his novel No Other World first prize in the 1991 Deep South Writers Contest. The work, published by Blue Heron Press, fictionalizes the life of Coincoin, the ex-slave who became a slaveholder and founded Melrose Plantation, near Natchitoches.
Published by Thunder Rain Publishing Corp. in August of 2008, German’s third novel, A Savage Wisdom, was reviewed as “a work of exceptional literary merit” and is now in its second printing. As a Kindle book on Amazon.com, the novel has reached #5 in the competitive True Crime category.
German has won numerous awards for his lively and informative teaching style. In 2004, he won a three-year position as Southeastern’s Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities.
A self-proclaimed home-body, German has nevertheless hitchhiked through Europe, fished in Alaska, and explored Hawaii for a month.
His baseball novel Switch-Pitchers will be published by BlueWater Press of Florida in May of 2010. In the novel, Ernest Hemingway smuggles twin Cuban pitchers to the U.S. for a shot at major-league fame.
German is currently working on a thriller set in the Atchafalaya Swamp and the marshes of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. The working titles are Controlled Burn or Catch a Falling Knife.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 22, 2009
A riveting read, full of evocative imagery and shocking secrets. Fine pacing and narrative flow make this one hard to put down.
I loved the liberal use of historical details throughout the story. I was especially captivated by the depiction of 1930s New Orleans. The architecture, food, music, dance, clothing, slang, and street people of the era are all brought to life. And the seamier side of the city is there as well, with the burlesque shows and illegal doings and well-known shady characters. Delicious!
A Savage Wisdom is an imaginative reconstruction of the legend of Toni Jo Henry. She murdered a man on Valentine's Day 1940, and was executed in 1942 in Louisiana's traveling electric chair known as "Little Sizzler".
The book begins with the murder. Toni Jo shoots "Harold Nevers" in a Louisiana rice field. Then the story goes back in time to 1938, and the events that led to the crime.
In 1938, Toni Jo Henry is a bored small-town waitress. Harold Nevers is a predatory charmer with an eye for beautiful women and a nose for exploitable weaknesses. Before long he sweeps Toni Jo off to New Orleans with promises of adventure and unimaginable fortunes. Things start off well enough. Harold shows her a New Orleans-style good time, and she works hard in his new restaurant. She enjoys the excitement and novelty of her new life and is hopelessly in love with Harold. As the months go by, however, Toni Jo's dream life begins to crumble.
Harold gradually, sneakily starts making her over into the sort of lady he wants her to be. Playing on her eagerness to please him, he begins with small demands, changing her name to "Annie Beatrice" and asking her to alter her appearance. As time goes on, he begins using "Annie" in increasingly demeaning ways, often without her knowledge. He makes use of everything he knows about her to break her down and transform her into his commodity. She is addicted to Harold, but she mistakes that addiction for love, with tragic consequences.
The characterization of Harold Nevers is one of the great strengths of the book. He's a convincing liar and a professional manipulator. He uses a combination of badgering, withholding, and salesmanship to keep Toni Jo under his control and convince her that she really wants to fulfill his humiliating plans for her.
Eventually, Toni Jo escapes Harold's clutches and begins a new life. But she unexpectedly encounters him many months later, and commits the murder for which she becomes notorious. When the murder is recounted at this point, it looks completely different than it did at the start of the book. Toni Jo's rage now seems justified, and her temporary loss of control is understandable.
During her murder trials and jail time, it becomes clear that Toni Jo Henry has learned a thing or two from Harold Nevers about lies and manipulation. She has become a hardened woman, out to serve only her own needs. She has a date with death and nothing left to lose. Even after she's long dead, there are reverberations and shattering revelations for those left behind.
I loved the liberal use of historical details throughout the story. I was especially captivated by the depiction of 1930s New Orleans. The architecture, food, music, dance, clothing, slang, and street people of the era are all brought to life. And the seamier side of the city is there as well, with the burlesque shows and illegal doings and well-known shady characters. Delicious!
A Savage Wisdom is an imaginative reconstruction of the legend of Toni Jo Henry. She murdered a man on Valentine's Day 1940, and was executed in 1942 in Louisiana's traveling electric chair known as "Little Sizzler".
The book begins with the murder. Toni Jo shoots "Harold Nevers" in a Louisiana rice field. Then the story goes back in time to 1938, and the events that led to the crime.
In 1938, Toni Jo Henry is a bored small-town waitress. Harold Nevers is a predatory charmer with an eye for beautiful women and a nose for exploitable weaknesses. Before long he sweeps Toni Jo off to New Orleans with promises of adventure and unimaginable fortunes. Things start off well enough. Harold shows her a New Orleans-style good time, and she works hard in his new restaurant. She enjoys the excitement and novelty of her new life and is hopelessly in love with Harold. As the months go by, however, Toni Jo's dream life begins to crumble.
Harold gradually, sneakily starts making her over into the sort of lady he wants her to be. Playing on her eagerness to please him, he begins with small demands, changing her name to "Annie Beatrice" and asking her to alter her appearance. As time goes on, he begins using "Annie" in increasingly demeaning ways, often without her knowledge. He makes use of everything he knows about her to break her down and transform her into his commodity. She is addicted to Harold, but she mistakes that addiction for love, with tragic consequences.
The characterization of Harold Nevers is one of the great strengths of the book. He's a convincing liar and a professional manipulator. He uses a combination of badgering, withholding, and salesmanship to keep Toni Jo under his control and convince her that she really wants to fulfill his humiliating plans for her.
Eventually, Toni Jo escapes Harold's clutches and begins a new life. But she unexpectedly encounters him many months later, and commits the murder for which she becomes notorious. When the murder is recounted at this point, it looks completely different than it did at the start of the book. Toni Jo's rage now seems justified, and her temporary loss of control is understandable.
During her murder trials and jail time, it becomes clear that Toni Jo Henry has learned a thing or two from Harold Nevers about lies and manipulation. She has become a hardened woman, out to serve only her own needs. She has a date with death and nothing left to lose. Even after she's long dead, there are reverberations and shattering revelations for those left behind.
October 27, 2021
"What did they ever do to deserve what they got? I mean, God asks Abraham to kill his son? How cruel can you get? So I've decided that if there is a God, He treats us like wishbones. He and the devil take a pull, and one or the other comes up with the big end, but we're the losers every time. So this is what I've decided." The priest looked at her expectantly. "No god, no evil," she said. "The only way to win is to make life neutral."
Toni Jo Henry, hoping to pull off a bank heist to finance a prison-break for her man, kills a stranger on the outskirts of Orange, Texas. She is convicted and is the first and only woman executed in the electric chair--a portable execution device nicknamed "Little Sizzler"-- in Louisiana on November 28, 1942. Those are the facts. From this, Norman German creates A Savage Wisdom, which turns everything upside down and inside out, transforming the facts of Toni Jo Henry's life and death into a sordid saga of country girl sexually exploited in New Orleans and her vengeance and death. Readers coming to learn more about the real Toni Jo Henry within this book cannot cry foul play. Right after the title page, German notes in large font:
A Savage Wisdom is an imaginative reconstruction of Toni Jo Henry's legend. However, the author uses the actual names and aliases of the murderess and the fact that the killing took place on Valentine's Day, 1940. All other names and incidents are either fictional or are used fictionally.
The good old boys at DVille Press in Donaldsonville, Louisiana who published this book don't help--they plaster actual photographs of Toni Jo Henry and footage of the crime scene on the front cover. The back blurb announces this is a "page-turning account of crime and punishment, told in terms of the literary tradition of true crime stories that includes Capote's In Cold Blood and Mailer's The Executioner's Song. " But German is not writing Toni Jo Henry's story. The DVille Press presentation is deliberately misleading.
So is the "original tale" good? Yes, the story is well-paced and engaging. I cared about the protagonist and wanted to know the circumstances which led her to engage in the brutal slaying described in the opening chapter. I do not believe Part III was necessary; for some reason, German wanted to demean the characters even more. The "reveal" or "twist" in Part III is obvious and would not surprise anyone. The book should end with the character of Toni Jo Henry--up to that point, the story has closure and a bit of mystery which doesn't require teasing out in an elongated postscript.
All in all, I enjoy German's writing. I plan to read more of his work soon.
Toni Jo Henry, hoping to pull off a bank heist to finance a prison-break for her man, kills a stranger on the outskirts of Orange, Texas. She is convicted and is the first and only woman executed in the electric chair--a portable execution device nicknamed "Little Sizzler"-- in Louisiana on November 28, 1942. Those are the facts. From this, Norman German creates A Savage Wisdom, which turns everything upside down and inside out, transforming the facts of Toni Jo Henry's life and death into a sordid saga of country girl sexually exploited in New Orleans and her vengeance and death. Readers coming to learn more about the real Toni Jo Henry within this book cannot cry foul play. Right after the title page, German notes in large font:
A Savage Wisdom is an imaginative reconstruction of Toni Jo Henry's legend. However, the author uses the actual names and aliases of the murderess and the fact that the killing took place on Valentine's Day, 1940. All other names and incidents are either fictional or are used fictionally.
The good old boys at DVille Press in Donaldsonville, Louisiana who published this book don't help--they plaster actual photographs of Toni Jo Henry and footage of the crime scene on the front cover. The back blurb announces this is a "page-turning account of crime and punishment, told in terms of the literary tradition of true crime stories that includes Capote's In Cold Blood and Mailer's The Executioner's Song. " But German is not writing Toni Jo Henry's story. The DVille Press presentation is deliberately misleading.
So is the "original tale" good? Yes, the story is well-paced and engaging. I cared about the protagonist and wanted to know the circumstances which led her to engage in the brutal slaying described in the opening chapter. I do not believe Part III was necessary; for some reason, German wanted to demean the characters even more. The "reveal" or "twist" in Part III is obvious and would not surprise anyone. The book should end with the character of Toni Jo Henry--up to that point, the story has closure and a bit of mystery which doesn't require teasing out in an elongated postscript.
All in all, I enjoy German's writing. I plan to read more of his work soon.
November 14, 2009
John Bardwell
Review
English 255
10,November 20009
Interesting Because It’s True
Fiction novels based on a true story usually catch the attention of readers more so than a nonfiction novel. A Savage Wisdom by Norman German is not only a novel; it is part of history that was twisted to give the novel a more desired meaning. He took the story of Annie Beatrice McQuiston, a true story, the first woman in Louisiana’s electric chair and gave it an imaginative reconstruction. The novel is interesting; it is a mystery unless you know the true story of Annie and the reasons German decided to research and pursue a novel.
A Savage Wisdom is a novel about a woman named Toni Jo. She is a young, beautiful, innocent girl working at a café trying to earn money to go to college. Toni Jo assumes that she would be stuck in the small town forever until a man appeared suddenly “like cockroaches seem to do”(9). Harold is a good looking business man. He took an interest in Toni Jo and offered her a job at his restaurant in New Orleans. Harold introduces Toni to the night life of New Orleans; it was something she has never experienced. She was amazed by the lights, people, buildings, and clubs. She soon became a regular visitor of the night life. Toni and Harold would go out every night to visit with people. Toni’s feelings have grown very strong for Harold. Harold initially portrays himself as good man who is financially well-off. He associates with many people and dresses like a rich man. However she finds out the true colors of Harold when Arkie shows Toni the room where men pay to watch Toni and Harold make love. Furious about the situation she leaves and starts seeing Arkie. Toni never speaks to Harold again until one rainy night when they picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is a kind, quiet man who breaks the silence by whistling the tune of “Rock of Ages.”Toni knew it was Harold and ordered Arkie to pull over and that is when Toni Jo blew Harold’s brains out. The murder earned Arkie and Toni Jo the Death sentence. Toni would be the first woman executed by the electric chair.
A Savage Wisdom is a little different from the true story. German made Toni Jo look like she was innocent but in real life she was far from the innocent woman that German describes in the novel. At the age of sixteen, Toni Jo was drinking, smoking marijuana, and associating with Shreveport’s underworld. She was arrested numerous times for assault but always escaped jail because of her age. Toni met Claude Cowboy Henry “Harold” in 1939; she fell instantly in love with him. Cowboy was out on bail for a shooting with a cop and waiting on a court date. Toni and Cowboy decided to get married but shortly after Cowboy were summoned to court. He was sentenced to 50 years in the Texas State Penitentiary. Toni Jo was infuriated with the outcome of the trial. She was certain and believed Cowboy’s story about self defense, so she had to bust him out of jail. She knew people in the criminal underworld; she teamed up with a man named Arkie “Harolds friend”. The two hijacked a car that had a man named Mr. Calloway in it. Toni Jo killed Mr. Calloway without thinking twice. Arkie didn’t want any part of the murder and escaped from Toni Jo, leaving her stranded. Mr. Calloway’s body was found. Toni Jo and Arkie were found guilty of first degree murder “Wisdom”.
German used the same characters from the true story but gave them different roles in the novel. This is part of reconstruction that German spent so much time mastering. The characters in the true story were all bad. They were either arrested, doing drugs, or waiting on trial. German dug deeper into their life’s and reconstructed the characters into good honest people at first but eventually gives them their real personality back at the end of the story.
Norman German is a very intelligent man with a number of degrees but his passion is to write. The novel is to entertain and to educate, German “spent four years writing and researching the imaginative reconstruction of the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana’s electric chair”(German). German’s belief that criminals should not be executed may have inspired German to research and create the reconstruction of Toni Jo’s life “German”. He thought criminals had information that could be used to solve cold cases. German’s strengths in the novel are the ability to reconstruct and keep the readers guessing and confused. Many people have called Savage the best novel they have read including me. Researching the real story gave me an appreciation for writers such as German.
Works Cited
German, Norman. A Savage Wisdom. Thunder Rain Publishing: Thibodaux. 2008.
A Savage Wisdom. www.asavagewisdom.com .Copyright 2009
Review
English 255
10,November 20009
Interesting Because It’s True
Fiction novels based on a true story usually catch the attention of readers more so than a nonfiction novel. A Savage Wisdom by Norman German is not only a novel; it is part of history that was twisted to give the novel a more desired meaning. He took the story of Annie Beatrice McQuiston, a true story, the first woman in Louisiana’s electric chair and gave it an imaginative reconstruction. The novel is interesting; it is a mystery unless you know the true story of Annie and the reasons German decided to research and pursue a novel.
A Savage Wisdom is a novel about a woman named Toni Jo. She is a young, beautiful, innocent girl working at a café trying to earn money to go to college. Toni Jo assumes that she would be stuck in the small town forever until a man appeared suddenly “like cockroaches seem to do”(9). Harold is a good looking business man. He took an interest in Toni Jo and offered her a job at his restaurant in New Orleans. Harold introduces Toni to the night life of New Orleans; it was something she has never experienced. She was amazed by the lights, people, buildings, and clubs. She soon became a regular visitor of the night life. Toni and Harold would go out every night to visit with people. Toni’s feelings have grown very strong for Harold. Harold initially portrays himself as good man who is financially well-off. He associates with many people and dresses like a rich man. However she finds out the true colors of Harold when Arkie shows Toni the room where men pay to watch Toni and Harold make love. Furious about the situation she leaves and starts seeing Arkie. Toni never speaks to Harold again until one rainy night when they picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is a kind, quiet man who breaks the silence by whistling the tune of “Rock of Ages.”Toni knew it was Harold and ordered Arkie to pull over and that is when Toni Jo blew Harold’s brains out. The murder earned Arkie and Toni Jo the Death sentence. Toni would be the first woman executed by the electric chair.
A Savage Wisdom is a little different from the true story. German made Toni Jo look like she was innocent but in real life she was far from the innocent woman that German describes in the novel. At the age of sixteen, Toni Jo was drinking, smoking marijuana, and associating with Shreveport’s underworld. She was arrested numerous times for assault but always escaped jail because of her age. Toni met Claude Cowboy Henry “Harold” in 1939; she fell instantly in love with him. Cowboy was out on bail for a shooting with a cop and waiting on a court date. Toni and Cowboy decided to get married but shortly after Cowboy were summoned to court. He was sentenced to 50 years in the Texas State Penitentiary. Toni Jo was infuriated with the outcome of the trial. She was certain and believed Cowboy’s story about self defense, so she had to bust him out of jail. She knew people in the criminal underworld; she teamed up with a man named Arkie “Harolds friend”. The two hijacked a car that had a man named Mr. Calloway in it. Toni Jo killed Mr. Calloway without thinking twice. Arkie didn’t want any part of the murder and escaped from Toni Jo, leaving her stranded. Mr. Calloway’s body was found. Toni Jo and Arkie were found guilty of first degree murder “Wisdom”.
German used the same characters from the true story but gave them different roles in the novel. This is part of reconstruction that German spent so much time mastering. The characters in the true story were all bad. They were either arrested, doing drugs, or waiting on trial. German dug deeper into their life’s and reconstructed the characters into good honest people at first but eventually gives them their real personality back at the end of the story.
Norman German is a very intelligent man with a number of degrees but his passion is to write. The novel is to entertain and to educate, German “spent four years writing and researching the imaginative reconstruction of the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana’s electric chair”(German). German’s belief that criminals should not be executed may have inspired German to research and create the reconstruction of Toni Jo’s life “German”. He thought criminals had information that could be used to solve cold cases. German’s strengths in the novel are the ability to reconstruct and keep the readers guessing and confused. Many people have called Savage the best novel they have read including me. Researching the real story gave me an appreciation for writers such as German.
Works Cited
German, Norman. A Savage Wisdom. Thunder Rain Publishing: Thibodaux. 2008.
A Savage Wisdom. www.asavagewisdom.com .Copyright 2009
November 13, 2009
Brooke Rhodes
Suspense at it’s Best
In the novel, A Savage Wisdom, Norman German creates a fictional and suspenseful story of a small town girl, Toni Jo Henry, who is deceived and hurt by a man named Harold Nevers. Toni Jo meets Harold and moves to New Orleans with him. During her time with Harold in New Orleans, she discovers that he is not who he claims to be. He tells her many lies, has her go on dates with men for money, and sells pictures of her posing seductively without her consent. Toni Jo later marries one of Harold’s friends, Arkie Burke. Toni Jo and Arkie have a good life, until the night Arkie picks up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker turns out to be Harold Nevers whom in turn Toni Jo murders. In the end Toni Jo is sentenced to death along with Arkie. German’s intention is to bring to life an imaginary story of the life of Annie Beatrice McQuiston, the first and only woman ever to be sentenced to death by electrocution in the state of Louisiana. In the novel German does an excellent job by keeping the reader in suspense.
Throughout the novel German uses many cases of foreshadowing. First, German begins the novel with the day that Toni Jo murders Harold. At this very moment the reader is hooked and has to discover why Toni Jo murdered Harold. In this way German grabs the reader’s attention right off the back, and leaves the reader with the feeling of curiosity and a want to fulfill the mystery. Next, German uses foreshadowing in several instances in his novel: Toni Jo catches Harold in a lie, but she blows it off, he has her change her name to Annie Beatrice and he has her pose seductively for pictures. All of these suggest that Harold is hiding something and the reader must find out what that is. Again, he leaves the reader anxious to find out who the true Harold Nevers is and what his intentions are.
By German using foreshadowing he adds to the novel by giving the novel suspense. He keeps the reader interested and alert to all aspects of the characters. He also builds a stereotype for Harold, and the reader begins to think of Harold in a different way. He is no longer the sweet guy that swept Toni Jo off of her feet, but is now the guy that is on his way to ruin Toni Jo’s life.
German catches the reader’s attention so well that it is almost impossible not to continue to the next chapter to discover what will happen next.
German is from Louisiana and specializes in twentieth century American literature, and he has a degree in history (Tracy). Therefore, German has the utmost capabilities to bring to life the story of Annie Beatrice McQuiston not only by having the capability of researching the non-fiction story of the crime, but also, by being able to set the tone for a novel told in southern Louisiana. He has the capabilities that allow the reader to feel like they know exactly where it all takes place. Because German is actually from the area that the novel takes place in he has an upper hand in making the setting not imaginary at all.
The text of the novel influences the reader psychologically because it is a story of deception. Many readers may wish that Toni Jo may have acted differently; she should not let this horrible man ruin her life. After all, that was his intention. Other’s may become angry with Harold Nevers for the actions he took against Toni Jo, and they may blame all of her future actions on him. The fact of the matter is that Toni Jo is the only person responsible for her actions. The text of the novel may also influence the reader educationally. The fact that the novel is the imaginary story of a real life character that was the first and only woman sentenced to death by electrocution in the state of Louisiana leads the reader to research the real Annie Beatrice McQuiston. The novel, once again, causes the reader to be curious.
The novel is a great read as well as an interesting read. The novel not only enlightens the reader with deception, crime, and love, but it also encourages the reader to learn about Annie Beatrice McQuistion. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its suspense. The novel never gets boring; it keeps the reader on his or her toes. In contrast, it is weak in the fact that the end of the novel leaves the reader with the curiosity of what happens to Toni Jo’s daughter. Anyone who enjoys a suspenseful novel would love to read A Savage Wisdom.
Works Cited
German, Norman. A Savage Wisdom. Louisiana: Thunder Rain Publishing Corp., 2008. Print.
Tracy, Katherine. "Author." A Savage Wisdom. 14OCT2009. Web. 3 Nov 2009.
.
Suspense at it’s Best
In the novel, A Savage Wisdom, Norman German creates a fictional and suspenseful story of a small town girl, Toni Jo Henry, who is deceived and hurt by a man named Harold Nevers. Toni Jo meets Harold and moves to New Orleans with him. During her time with Harold in New Orleans, she discovers that he is not who he claims to be. He tells her many lies, has her go on dates with men for money, and sells pictures of her posing seductively without her consent. Toni Jo later marries one of Harold’s friends, Arkie Burke. Toni Jo and Arkie have a good life, until the night Arkie picks up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker turns out to be Harold Nevers whom in turn Toni Jo murders. In the end Toni Jo is sentenced to death along with Arkie. German’s intention is to bring to life an imaginary story of the life of Annie Beatrice McQuiston, the first and only woman ever to be sentenced to death by electrocution in the state of Louisiana. In the novel German does an excellent job by keeping the reader in suspense.
Throughout the novel German uses many cases of foreshadowing. First, German begins the novel with the day that Toni Jo murders Harold. At this very moment the reader is hooked and has to discover why Toni Jo murdered Harold. In this way German grabs the reader’s attention right off the back, and leaves the reader with the feeling of curiosity and a want to fulfill the mystery. Next, German uses foreshadowing in several instances in his novel: Toni Jo catches Harold in a lie, but she blows it off, he has her change her name to Annie Beatrice and he has her pose seductively for pictures. All of these suggest that Harold is hiding something and the reader must find out what that is. Again, he leaves the reader anxious to find out who the true Harold Nevers is and what his intentions are.
By German using foreshadowing he adds to the novel by giving the novel suspense. He keeps the reader interested and alert to all aspects of the characters. He also builds a stereotype for Harold, and the reader begins to think of Harold in a different way. He is no longer the sweet guy that swept Toni Jo off of her feet, but is now the guy that is on his way to ruin Toni Jo’s life.
German catches the reader’s attention so well that it is almost impossible not to continue to the next chapter to discover what will happen next.
German is from Louisiana and specializes in twentieth century American literature, and he has a degree in history (Tracy). Therefore, German has the utmost capabilities to bring to life the story of Annie Beatrice McQuiston not only by having the capability of researching the non-fiction story of the crime, but also, by being able to set the tone for a novel told in southern Louisiana. He has the capabilities that allow the reader to feel like they know exactly where it all takes place. Because German is actually from the area that the novel takes place in he has an upper hand in making the setting not imaginary at all.
The text of the novel influences the reader psychologically because it is a story of deception. Many readers may wish that Toni Jo may have acted differently; she should not let this horrible man ruin her life. After all, that was his intention. Other’s may become angry with Harold Nevers for the actions he took against Toni Jo, and they may blame all of her future actions on him. The fact of the matter is that Toni Jo is the only person responsible for her actions. The text of the novel may also influence the reader educationally. The fact that the novel is the imaginary story of a real life character that was the first and only woman sentenced to death by electrocution in the state of Louisiana leads the reader to research the real Annie Beatrice McQuiston. The novel, once again, causes the reader to be curious.
The novel is a great read as well as an interesting read. The novel not only enlightens the reader with deception, crime, and love, but it also encourages the reader to learn about Annie Beatrice McQuistion. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its suspense. The novel never gets boring; it keeps the reader on his or her toes. In contrast, it is weak in the fact that the end of the novel leaves the reader with the curiosity of what happens to Toni Jo’s daughter. Anyone who enjoys a suspenseful novel would love to read A Savage Wisdom.
Works Cited
German, Norman. A Savage Wisdom. Louisiana: Thunder Rain Publishing Corp., 2008. Print.
Tracy, Katherine. "Author." A Savage Wisdom. 14OCT2009. Web. 3 Nov 2009.
.
September 28, 2009
Even though I saw the results of Toni Jo's seduction in the opening scene of the novel, I couldn't help hoping as I read that she would make different choices. As with any good work of historical fiction, A Savage Wisdom makes you want to learn more about the characters involved and their lives beyond the page.
August 18, 2009
This book is a study in deception. A young, beautiful girl falls for a man who will take her on a wonderful and horrible journey. Set in the 1930s/40s, it is an amazing re-creation of life in New Orleans and the area.
Based on the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana's traveling electric chair.
Based on the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana's traveling electric chair.
dnf
September 14, 2015WAY too drawn out and too much stuff I don't care about. It began to lose me during Harold's monologue about the revival and all that. Continued to lose my interest as it carried on. He had too many stories and opinions and I didn't like the man.
Curious as to how this could be such a different take from the movie, The Pardon.
Curious as to how this could be such a different take from the movie, The Pardon.
October 21, 2009
Very interesting, a murderer has been made to have a human side to her.
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