Justified? How? Mississippi Trial, 1955 is a work of historical fiction written by American professor, Chris Crowe. It is about the 1955 kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till, a black teenager who was living in Greenwood, Mississippi. Though Emmett Till really was actually taken from his home and murdered in real life, the novel is narrated by a fictional character, and some of the other characters in the book, including the narrator's family, who are also fictional. Crowe's book centers around a young white boy named Hiram, who is visiting his hometown in Mississippi when he encounters Emmett Till, a black teenager around his age who is also there for the same reason. During his time in the town, Hiram witnesses many events of racism and prejudice by whites against blacks. …show more content…
She shopped a few items, and when she is leaving she hears someone whistle at her. She tells her husband about the incident and in his fury, gathers up his friends and confronts Emmett. The men storm into Emmett’s home and yank him out of bed, dragging him toward the river. While the men only intended to beat him up and teach him a lesson, they end up killing him and dump his body into the Tallahatchie River, tied to a heavy object to ensure his descent to the bottom of the river. After Emmett's dead, brutally marked body is found floating in the river, a case begins to find his murderers. Remembering his meeting with Emmett, Hiram is determined to find out the culprits, no matter what it