Fiction Fridays: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt has been one of those books that I knew I should read, and probably would enjoy immensely, but I never stopped to pick up. I guess partly because I didn't want to hear the bad about Savannah since I was enamored with the city when we moved here seven years ago. Even though I had seen the movie prior to arriving in this beautiful city, I felt like reading about its dirty past may taint my rose-colored glasses.
Now that I have had lived here for a while, some of the luster has faded and I have seen firsthand some of the Hostess City's flaws. So, it was the perfect time to read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and now, of course, I wish I would have read it seven years ago. Berendt's account is basically an autobiography of the time he spent there combined with mini biographies of the people he meets. And although this is nonfiction with some liberties, don't for a second think that these people aren't characters. Everyone's got a secret, people still harbor old resentments and prejudices, and money is king but connections and acceptance rule even more.
The story centers around the murder trial against a prominent, wealthy antiques dealer that killed one of this young male lovers. He claims self-defense while the D.A. says it was calculated. Everyone Berendt meets has an opinion about the trial as it goes through four trials total after three different appeals are processed following the initial ruling that he was guilty of murder. The trials' proceedings give everyone something to talk about and reveals individual grudges, prejudices, ignorance, and seedy behavior that lies just beneath the surface of a city known for its love of drinking.
I will admit, I am jealous of Berendt's book because I would love to do his strategy of living in a place for months out of the year for nearly a decade to get to know the people and place intimately. Not easy, and certainly not realistic for all authors, but man, it sure would be fun. But this book does inspires me in more realistic ways also because it proves that there are so many stories all around us. Every person's life is a story in itself, and every city has a distinct personality. Berendt captures Savannah honestly, thoroughly, and slightly at an arm's length--never truly becoming a Savannahian because frankly, it's not an easy task unless you are born and raised in this city.
I feel like every city should have a nonfiction book like this that tells the story of its place better than any textbook or cold, hard facts. A city is best revealed by the people who live there, and Berendt gives clear insight into Savannah by allowing some of its major players take center stage.