Bluebird, Bluebird

The novel is framed with a Prologue introducing Geneva Sweet. Geneva’s musical offering at the graveside of her family initiates the blues soundtrack that will continue throughout the story. Geneva also leaves fried pies for the dead, a nod to her cultural traditions and superior cooking skills. At 70 years of age, she has seen the world undergo a lot of change, yet her café is frozen in time with 15-year-old advertisements stuck to the walls and an old-fashioned jukebox in the corner. Geneva holds fast to traditions such as canning vegetables from her garden and bartering services with Isaac Snow. By introducing the first details of the mystery in her café in the small-town tableau, the story is seen through the eyes of a wise and weathered citizen. The news of the two bodies washed up in the bayou unnerves Geneva in a way that sets the tone for events to come.

Darren Mathews takes the stand in the grand jury hearing, not as a proud badge-wearing Texas Ranger, but as a hungover, whiskey-soaked, battered, estranged husband and cop. Darren stands ready to help his friend Mack dodge conviction for a crime Darren’s certain he did not commit, yet his mind is clouded with alcohol and self-doubt. He is haunted by decisions he made years ago, and the missing parts of the previous night are keeping him from being fully present in the courtroom. Darren finds much of his identity in serving as a Ranger and is feeling adrift without the star badge attached to his shirt. Malvo is the stereotypical ex-convict white supremacist known by the citizens of his town as a foul, corrupt individual who has recently set his sights on Breanna, Mack’s granddaughter, as a target for his bigoted venom. A storyline is presented as though it will be the central narrative. Darren is drawn into the conflict wrongfully assuming Mack has also called the police. As he sweats and stumbles through his testimony to District Attorney Vaughn, he calculates each word through his law school training and to protect his friend. The cat and mouse questioning of Vaughn is interlaced with painful flashbacks in Darren’s mind. The scene introduces a protagonist who is not only involved in a present conflict with outer forces he cannot control, but who is also battling powerful internal demons. Darren is in the grips of a substance use disorder, marital strife, and a faltering sense of purpose in life. With Ronnie Malvo now dead, Darren must reckon with the complicated feelings of finding justice. On one hand, he sees the world as better off without a scourge of human stain like Malvo in it, however, as a Texas Ranger who has committed to preserving and defending the law, he must find the truth of what happened despite his friend Mack being at the center of the investigation.

Though Darren is struggling to stay alert through his testimony, he does note certain key details in the courtroom that will be important to the case but also set the tone for the racial themes scaffolding the narrative. The first and most important is the all-white jury. History shows that it is difficult for people of color to get a fair trial. The lack of diversity in the jury could prove injurious to Mack’s case. Second is the obvious derision Vaughn holds for Darren. Through his questions, it is clear he not only suspects, but truly believes Darren is lying under oath to protect his friend. He actively tries to discredit him in front of the jury. Darren attempts to use his unfinished law education to his advantage, but he allows himself to fall victim to his internal scorn. In his present condition, he is not living up to the standards set by his uncles who raised him. William and Clayton taught him to dress and behave a certain way to appease society’s view of what constitutes a gentleman, yet they were also both passionate about reforming the justice system. He doubts his disheveled appearance and mental fogginess are doing much to impress the jury and honor his uncles. He is torn between the divergent philosophies of his uncles on the law, but now is not the time to sort out his own beliefs. In a moment of clarity, he makes eye contact with the jury and invokes the Castle Doctrine, a law with which he knows all Texans are intimately familiar. The Castle Doctrine states that a person has the right to defend their property and use force if necessary. Though the jury might struggle to make a personal connection to the racial hatred undercutting the situation, the notion of personal defense of property hits home in a state with strong gun ownership rights. The courtroom drama sets up both the external conflict in the narrative but also reveals the intense internal conflict within the protagonist.