Down Along with that Devil’s Bones

I received an advance reading copy of Down Along with that Devil’s Bones by Connor Towne O’Neill from the publisher (Algonquin Books). Down Along with that Devil’s Bones is scheduled for release on October 13, 2020.

Down Along with that Devil’s Bones is a nonfiction dive into the rise and fall of American memorials, specifically Confederate memorials found in the South. O’Neill focuses on one Confederate general, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and the continuing controversy over statues in his honor. This is a general that I don’t remember ever hearing of before reading this book, but I think O’Neill’s focus on one person was a strength of this book. Choosing to focus on memorials to one person allowed O’Neill to find individuals with strong, personal connections/ feelings on both sides of the issue. While O’Neill has a clear opinion that these memorials should come down, he did a good job of working to understand and present the thoughts of those who want the memorials to stay.

On his journey, O’Neill explores both how these memorials came to be and why there is now controversy over taking them down. In the end, his own realizations go way beyond the “simple” issue of taking down the statues. He moves into thoughts about how these memorials are connected to his own privilege as a white man, even when he is in support of taking these memorials down.

Overall, Down Along with that Devil’s Bones is a thought-provoking exploration of memorials in America. I highly recommend this to anyone working thorough their own thoughts and feelings about what memorials truly mean to all of us.