Indiana Gothic

There aren't enough stars or adequate words to give this book the merit it deserves. It was in the "true crime" section of the library, and I mainly picked it up because it was one of the few I hadn't read.What a pleasant surprise to find a rather ordinary story told in such a bewitching manner! By reading Mr. Brock's words, I felt that I was familiar with the atmosphere and living conditions of Allie and Link, Maggie and Ham, and the other players.Allie Hale is in the prison of a loveless marriage to her former schoolteacher when her younger sister, Maggie, marries handsome Ham Dillon. The subsequent affair between Allie and Ham is not only predictable but perhaps inevitable. Allie's biggest mistake was probably giving birth to a 12-lb. boy that she hoped her husband would believe was premature, but then she named him after her lover. Link, however, could add two and two and, when confronted, Allie confessed all.The broken-hearted Link repeatedly attempted suicide (with and without asking his wife to join him) and eventually decided he needed some intensive treatment. He was on his way to the Kellogg's institute in Battle Creek, Michigan, when he met his rival on the street and put five bullets into him.Every aspect of this story is fascinating--the rivalries, passions, and betrayals as well as the mundane and ordinary are spellbindingly told.

If tales of murder and mystery are your thing, or if you're into historical novels that transport you to another era, you'll LOVE this book. But more important, even if you're not interested in works of that ilk, you'll STILL love this book-- simply because it's so beautifully written. As so many others at this site have commented, it's a real page turner ... and who can't resist that? And the "story" is made even more engrossing because Brock makes it so rich in detail. I have also read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," which is somewhat similar, but found Brock's book to be far more engaging. He is a very gifted writer, so don't miss out on this terrific read! (I actually missed my subway stop once while reading it, as I was so "carried away.")

I was totally engulfed into the lives of the Hales and Dillons. Though often an over used phrase, this was a "page turner". I read it every chance I could and loved every minute. Without going into long, drawn out details of why the characters were like they were - I still could envision what motivated Ham, Maggie, Link and Allie. With both Ham and Allie the things they loved about their mates when they were dating was what bugged them the most when they were married. Ham and Allie were driven to passion even more by the fact that it was a secret affair. The guilty pleasure of forbidden love made them even more passionate. The beautiful wording was so detailed that I could picture each scene in my mind. Life was worlds away from life now. Althought, in ways, things have not changed. Something that has not changed since then is that people are still driven by desire and passion and the public loves a torrid scandal. I am from southern Indiana and am familiar with the Odon area and other small towns in the southern portion of Indiana and they were depicted perfectly. I hope that Mr. Brock has another project in the works - I look forward to it. I would love to see this made into a movie. I would be first in line to see it. It would be interesting to have a sequel to Indiana Gothic that follows the lives of the characters in later years. I am glad that he revealed what happened to the characters at the end but it left me wondering and wanting more. What were Link's later years like? What about Ham and Allie's love child? I would love to know details of what his life was like. Did he suffer as the subject of gossip because of the way he was conceived? It was really a fast paced book that never once bored me. It is a must have for everyone's library.

As many reviewers have noted, Brock does a stellar job of evoking the era of the early 1900's in Daviess County. It is a testament to his intense research that Brock is able to evoke the era so vividly. I must admit that the intensity of this book snuck up on me. I was slowly drawn into the lives of the Dillons and Hales. Before I knew it I found I had an extremely hard time putting the book down and rushed back to it as soon as I was able. I think what most impressed me was the fine line Brock walks between fact and fiction. Brock takes the "skeleton" of the skeleton in the family closet, gives it heart and muscle by using actual testimony and newspaper accounts of the events and then fleshes it out with period imagery and ambiance. The result is a body of work that makes me care about the Dillons and Hales. In fact, I wish I knew more details about their descendants' lives than Brock gives me in the epilogue. And there was no need to sensationalize the events; the facts spoke for themselves. I look forward to more of Pope Brock's books.

Indiana Gothic paints a picture of the consequences of adultery and of murder in southwestern rural Indiana in the early 1900s. Although the book is a work of fiction, the events have an historical basis. The author, who is descended from one of the principal characters, uses the known facts to weave an absorbing story of passion and its devastating results. In doing so, he exposes the wickedness of human nature.Author Pope Brock portrays Daviess County, Indiana, when farming and church activities dominated people's lives. The reader is caught up in making apple butter, planting and harvesting corn, or milking cows. The Mud Pike United Brethren church reminds us of a time when men sat on one side and women on the other. And the young people's box-lunch auction provided the highlight of the social season.We follow the characters in their daily lives as the doctor makes his rounds of house calls and the vigilantes right the wrongs of their community. We are transported on trolleys, on the railroad, by horse and buggy, and on the first home delivery of mail. We listen in on the "party line" gossip.In this story the fodder for gossip is enormous, especially after the murder of one of the prominent citizens, Albert Hamlet Dillon. The murder, brought on by an adulterous affair with his wife's sister and the aftermath of the trial that ensues, disrupts this small Indiana community, as well as, the lives of all who are touched by this affair. For a glimpse into life in the early 1900s and the torment, torture, exhilaration, and passion of an adulterous affair, I recommend this book highly. The only question that faces the reader is: What is true and what is fabricated? However, Pope Brock invents dialog that moves the story in a logical, easy to read fashion, thus the reader is caught up in the characters' lives and times blending truth and fiction into a powerful portrait which seduces us away from the question.