This review is part of a new segment by The Feather Online aimed at exploring the world of literature. During the oncoming months, Feather staffers will be reviewing a multitude of books from different eras and cultures.

A mysterious man arrives in St. Adrienne, Louisiana, and calls himself Robert X. He carries no identification, no pride and no sense of well-being. All he owns is a suitcase with a few articles of clothing.

The townspeople wonder who he is and whether he is dangerous or completely harmless. Some decide to stay away and let Robert have his peace while others take pity on him, giving him rides to the local bar and taking him to parties in order to allow him to mingle within the community.

It is with this mystery and ambiguity that author Ernest J. Gaines begins his 1978 novel, In My Father’s House, which centers around two characters, Robert X and Phillip Martin.

In a different time period and setting, Gaines introduces Phillip, a reverend and local civil rights hero. The year is 1970 and the civil rights movement is slowly dying within the African American youth community. It seems to many that the struggle is over and lost.

Phillip’s struggle for basic rights occurs before Robert comes to town. However, once in town, Robert attends a meeting at Phillip’s house where the two recognize each other for who they really are — father and son. Robert then confesses his motive for coming to St. Adrienne, which includes Johanna’s request to kill Phillip. With those words, Robert walks away leaving Phillip to reflect on this moral dilemma.

The rest of the novel centers around Phillip’s decision to search out the people from his past life, which ultimately leads him on a quest to atone for his sins by making things right with his son. The interesting part about Phillip’s exploration to me was the fact that at first, he is not searching for amends, but rather for his son’s name, which over the years he has forgotten. As Phillip goes through these excursions, Gaines provides insight into Phillip’s past life and the pain caused by his absence in Robert’s life.

All in all, In My Father’s House is a book about atonement and revenge, two things which coincide with each other throughout the book. For me, the title basically gives away the plot twist, but I enjoyed reading as the plot unfurled within the pages. Gaines did a great job of keeping me entertained while reading, whether it be through a witty remark from the main character or interesting tidbits about history.

The subplot of Phillip’s fight for equality within the community is heavily based on the civil rights movements of the 1950s and ’60s, the work of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the work of Malcom X. This ties into the book for several instances, the most apparent being the characters of Robert X and Phillip Martin.

Robert X resembles the late Malcolm X, a reformer and public speaker who spoke out against the prejudice and discrimination of his time period. Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, used an X as his last name to represent his true African name that he would never know.

With the alias of Robert X, Phillip’s son banishes his name altogether, replacing the name his father gave him with an X, like the late reformer. With this, he could then, theoretically speaking, alter his existence all together and create an entirely new man for himself without the pain and rejection his father bestowed upon him when they were separated.

In addition, Phillip’s character is a reflection of King. Both were reverends who lived affluent lifestyles, were respected within their communities and had alleged affairs with women.

In my opinion, In My Father’s House is a very well thought-out, informational and well-written novel which should be brought up more often in a classroom setting for the thought-provoking theme it presents.

With its 214 pages, I found the novel to be of perfect length, containing all the right information to make the reader informed on the conflict and theme. However, it must be pointed out that the book does contain some harsh language, including racial slurs.

In My Father’s House costs about $14 and can be purchased at most local bookstores, such as Borders, or through Amazon.com.

For more book reviews, read the April 21 article, Dark novel contests life’s purpose.