Book Review: ‘A Fever in the Heartland’

I recently read Timothy Egan’s book, “A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them” after it popped up on a library search. Egan’s book is a weighty, thoroughly researched history of the Ku Klux Klan and its dramatic surge of power under leader, D.C. Stephenson.

When the Klan hired him, Stephenson was an ambitious salesman. He later demanded large dividends for charming and bribing hundreds of influential people into the Klan’s vortex.

The book serves as a warning against hypocrisy, bias and selfishness, but it’s also an inspiration.

While many joined the Klan’s efforts, there were an inspiring few who stood fast to the truth they believed in, even at the cost of material benefit or comfort.

“The price of doing business with him involved a certain amount of looking away or willful ignorance … the best of Indiana [was] paying homage to him, how dangerous could he be with all this high-ranking validation?”

The story is unbelievable, to say the least, but I see how it’s possible. Our current culture is fueled by a divisive and very confusing political environment. Hatred and tensions are mounting. And infrastructures of power will always use fear to manipulate and exploit the vulnerable.

“[Stephenson] played on their fears, their pride and their boredom.” Fear, pride and boredom are no strangers to any of us. Plus, we have a strong desire to belong.

So, how do I hold fast to the truth I believe in as a woman and a business owner?

In the daily grind, mitigating the anxiety of the rise and fall, there are many choices. For me, I choose to not be crippled by competition but to keep celebrating the new businesses and creatives in Southeast Missouri.

I continue to keep giving of myself joyfully, remembering what I've been given. And when sales are low, I choose to remind myself of the higher goal. While it’s important to perfect our craft, I can’t be focused on it for my identity or place in this world. I do not want to focus on excellence for excellence's sake or to compromise relationships for ambition. Our place is given by God and fully realized by how we grow in character there, even within our limitations.

Perfectionism can be crippling for me. To keep it from being toxic, I must remind myself of my true purpose, to love others and provide service to those around me. In the end, every motive comes to light. Those who followed the Klan were put to shame.

In reading this book, I was reminded that integrity means to stand for what is right, all the time. We each have a place and a responsibility to the truth. We can all relate to wanting more control over our lives. This story, this history, illustrates that when we pursue people for personal power we are subject to corruption and all kinds of evil. For me this disturbing book is a reminder that power and prominence are meant to be given and received, not taken and hoarded.

Becky Green baked her first cake from scratch at 5 years old, with the help of her 7-year-old brother. It was an early morning surprise for their parents and it was a success. After many more successes and a good amount of failures, she’s now the head baker at her family’s restaurant, Green’s Garden Urban Market + Kitchens, in downtown Cape Girardeau. Becky enjoys spending time with family, creating art inspired by God’s good world and walking by the Mississippi River.