Cajun Crow and the Mockingbird is a gripping tale of injustice, lost love, and the battle of a young attorney who risks everything to combat hatred and find love in the segregated South.
In the 1950s and 60s, the threat of communism galvanized the American public. During the height of the Red Scare, unapologetic white racist politicians fighting to preserve segregation launched a series of highly publicized hearings in New Orleans, alleging that the civil rights movement was a communist-inspired conspiracy dedicated to overthrowing the government. Inspired by these invents, Cajun Crow and the Mockingbird is a fictional story about a rookie New Orleans mob lawyer, Noel Corbin, who defends an innocent Black teen, Gasper Babineaux, unjustly accused of being a communist provocateur. Representing his first innocent client, the morally dented attorney learns powerful lessons about love, redemption, and God. The book tackles weighty social issues with a light, straightforward touch.
The complex racial themes of the book are just as central and meaningful today as they were in the mid-20th century. Gazing into the book’s rearview mirror, we can reflect on how much has changed and how far there is to go. Martinez’s previous two novels Cajun Chameleon (2018) and Summer of Haint Blue: From Cajun to Creole (2021), similarly centered on the complexities of race in segregated Louisiana.
Praise for Cajun Crow and the Mockingbird
“A Cajun Lawyer juggles his work for the (Cajun) mob with a commitment to social justice in the mid-20th century. … At the core of Martinez’s book is a rich depiction of Cajun Culture, one that the author, who has deep Cajun roots, lucidly portrays. … those interested in an authentic portrayal of New Orleans will have a lot to savor.”
– Kirkus Review
“The author’s storytelling was authentic and honest. … He succeeded in creating characters that were intriguing and inspiring. … The book was an easy read and fast-paced. … There was nothing about it that I did not like.”
– OnlineBookClub
“Jimmie’s novels capture the essence of life in the 50s and 60s in Cajun, Louisiana.”
– Governor Edwin Edwards, The First Cajun Louisiana Governor.
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