Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is one of the most impressive books released on 2017. Not only is it informative, but it’s written in a very entertaining way. This was the first book we read for Book Club! I’m pretty open to a lot of books. I saw the “Birth of the FBI” on the front of the book, and definitely thought that it was going to be a very different book. However, I ended up really enjoying it anyway. Is it a good thing to say that you “enjoy” a tragic book?
Note: This is a true story, so anything shared below can be researched on the internet. Basically, I’m not spoiling anything.
The Layout
Killers of the Flower Moon is broken into three parts. Chronicle One: The Marked Woman addresses the history of the Osage people and their rich history (If you’d read the book, that would be a great double entendre.). It also brings up the suspicious deaths of some of the Osage. Chronicle Two: The Evidence Man encompasses the entire investigation made by the FBI into the deaths of the Osage. We also get a glimpse into the trial and conviction of William Hale. This man was so wealthy that he was bribing juries and even financed an escape attempt! Chronicle Three: The Reporter is years later, told in a first person account by Mr. Grann. He unearths additional facts and even more guilty parties that were missed in the initial investigations!
The Story
I’m so baffled how I had never heard anything about this before reading it for Book Club! This was a massive string of murders FOR YEARS. The Osage people weren’t “trusted” to use their own money, so they had white males as guardians, who then stole their money. We kicked them out of their land multiple times and then stole more from them?! Where is the justice?! Well, there was some justice when William Hale was arrested and sent to prison. I wish they would have kept him out of Oklahoma.
All in, I’d give this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn’t one of my favorite books I’ve read. Apparently they’re in discussions to make a movie out of this too! I think Leonardo DiCaprio may reprise his role as Hoover! If not, that will be confusing.
With all of that being said, if you’re looking for an educational read that will also spur some anger, definitely pick this up. If you’re within my immediate vicinity, I’ll even let you borrow mine! Don’t forget to follow #adventuresinreading on Instagram!
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