“Is there a Coke machine on this floor?”
“On the other side of the elevators there’s a concession room. There’re drink and snack machines in there.”
“Thanks.”
The Coke machine was empty, so she walked down a flight of stairs looking for another one. On the first floor she found a large snack area with a Coke machine. She got one for Bobby and one for herself.
As she stepped off the elevator, she noticed several nurses rushing into Bobby’s room. She ran to the door and was blocked by one of the nurses.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s a problem. Doctor’s in there now.”
Shenandoah dropped both Cokes, breaking the bottles and spilling the dark liquid on the tile floor. She pushed past the nurse and rushed to Bobby’s side. Mrs. Johnson was standing in the corner, holding a sleeping Wally in her arms, her face a mask of shocked disbelief.
A young doctor in a short white coat was just taking his stethoscope off Bobby’s chest. Bobby lay motionless with his eyes closed and didn’t appear to be breathing.
“Jesus, what happened?”
Turning to Shenandoah, the doctor said, “I’m sorry, ma’am—he’s gone.”
“Dead?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“My God, how? I was just talking to him! How could this happen?”
“Most likely a pulmonary embolus from the broken leg. There’s no way to know when they’re going to hit unless there’s some indication of clotting.”
“But he didn’t complain of any pain in his legs!
The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry. He didn’t show any symptoms. There’s nothing we could’ve done to prevent this.”
Shenandoah raked her hands through her hair, threw her head back, and gave an anguished howl. Then she turned to the doctor. “Could you leave us?”
He did, frowning. Shenandoah held onto the rail at the foot of the bed and sobbed, her shoulders trembling so violently that the whole bed shook. She took quick, short breaths until she became so lightheaded that she almost passed out. She kept shaking her head and moaning until Mrs. Johnson wrapped her arm around Shenandoah’s shoulder. She’d left Wally in the chair, asleep.
Mrs. Johnson pulled Shenandoah tighter against her, sobbing, and said, “I can’t believe this. How could something like this happen?”
Shenandoah said, “It’s not fair. Jesus, we’d just found each other. Now it’s over. Just like that. It’s over.”
Shenandoah and Mrs. Johnson held each other in a firm grip for several minutes. Mr. Applebee, sensing something wrong, whimpered at Shenandoah’s feet. Finally, Mrs. Johnson loosened her grip and walked back to the chair where her grandson lay sleeping. She picked him up and sat in the chair with him cradled in her arms, his head on her shoulder.
Shenandoah walked to the head of the bed, then leaned over and kissed Bobby, first on his forehead and then on his lips. Straightening, she looked down on his pale face. “How will I ever live without you?”
Epilogue
After being convicted for the murder of Lillian Johnson, Dr. Kate spent four years in the women’s prison in Nashville until given a full pardon by Governor Frank Clement. Jake Watson was able to convince Buford Frampton and some of his powerful Senate allies into passing a special resolution to reinstate Kate’s medical license upon her release. She had been legal since the fall of 1956. To everyone’s surprise, she’d even obtained a valid driver’s license. After weaning herself off alcohol in July of 1952, she joined a twelve-step program and never again had another drink. The doctor had remained single, though she and Army Johnson had remained good friends until his death in 1980 from lung cancer.
It had not surprised anyone that Austin Davis had become a civil rights lawyer of some note. He had almost gotten himself killed in Mississippi in 1965, but some college student pulled him into a car at the last moment and they escaped.
After Bobby’s death, Mrs. Johnson raised Wally by herself with financial aid from Shenandoah. In fact, she paid for Wally’s undergraduate education at Tennessee Tech and for medical school at Vanderbilt University. The young man had graduated in 1976 and took a family practice residency at the Peter Brent Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He’d joined Dr. Kate’s practice in 1978 and was now married to Abigail Bradshaw, the young pharmacist who had taken over her grandfather’s drugstore.
The publication of E. H. Crump, Southern Kingpin in 1954, the year Boss Crump died, established Shenandoah Coleman as a first-rate political reporter. In 1965, she married Alex McBride, a young television news anchor from Washington, D.C. Shenandoah left the newspaper world in the early 1970s to join public radio, then in its infancy.
Because of Wally, Shenandoah and Alex made the trip from Washington to Round Rock once a year. The drive had become a lot easier because of Interstate 40 and the new four-lane highway from Cookeville to Livingston. The two-lane blacktop between Livingston and Round Rock had been straightened, and there was a new bridge across Dale Hollow Lake. It took a fraction of the time it did in 1952 to make the drive from Livingston to Round Rock. There was a liquor store in Lebanon, so the ridge runners had disappeared, replaced by marijuana farmers.
When the first Mr. Applebee went to his just reward, Shenandoah bought another English bulldog and named him Mr. Applebee the Second. Shenandoah had never been without a Mr. Applebee since she adopted Hattie Mae’s original one in 1952.
Overall, Shenandoah McBride’s had been a good life. She’d come to grips with her heritage, and her success as a newswoman continued to bring her fame, if not fortune. The loss of Bobby had been devastating, and it had taken her ten years to find and fall in love with her husband. Yet almost fifty years later, on certain hot, sultry summer nights, Shenandoah was still haunted by the memory of that handsome, sweet-tempered daredevil from the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee.
Questions for Discussion
Throughout The Trial of Dr. Kate, the author presents us with figures that are substantially more complicated than they appear at first: Dr. Kate, Shenandoah, Buford Frampton, Junior Coleman, Jake Watson. In what ways does the author reveal the complexities in these characters’ lives?
Throughout Shenandoah’s interviews and the trial itself, different characters reveal the ways in which their lives have been touched by Dr. Kate. However, several characters also discuss how Dr. Kate’s schedule and tendency toward overwork can be destructive. Do you think the good Dr. Kate has done in Round Rock justifies the personal damage she suffers as a result of her work? Why or why not?
What do you think of the book’s presentation of authority figures? What distinguishes the attitudes of the corrupt authority figures (like Jasper Kingman) from those of the “straight shooters” (like Jimmy Joe Short)?
Why do you think Shenandoah responds so strongly to Bobby Johnson? What do you think Bobby sees in her? What do you think Shenandoah sees in him that makes her change her mind about the possibility of their having a relationship? Do you think their relationship is a good idea?
Why do you think Shenandoah decides to forgive Lisbeth Crouch? Do you think she was right to do so? Is Lisbeth’s grudge against Shenandoah in any way justified?
In some sense, is Round Rock the real main character of this story? Why or why not?
Throughout Round Rock society, there are distinct “outsiders”: poor people (notably, the Colemans), African-Americans, and independent women. Shenandoah is a member of two of these categories. How does this status help her in her project of interviewing people in the town about Dr. Kate? How does it hinder her? Beyond these three categories, is there anyone in Round Rock that you’d consider to be an “outsider”?
Austin Davis, the African-American chauffeur for Thelonius P. Flatt, comes from Chicago. Does he seem more or less affected by the racism he encounters in Round Rock than characters like Jazz and Hank Boldt, who grew up in the South? Compare and contrast the characters and their experiences of racism in the book, as well as th
eir strategies for dealing with that racism.
Army and Bobby Johnson work as ridge runners, bringing alcohol into a dry county. Given that Dr. Kate’s alcoholism is a major plot point in the book and given Bobby’s ultimate fate, can ridge running be thought of as a sinister line of work?
Do you think the decision Dr. Kate ultimately made regarding Lillian’s life was a good one? In the same circumstances, might you have done the same? Why or why not? Do you think that doctors generally have the right to make this decision if their patients request it?
The sentence handed down to Dr. Kate is in some ways more a result of the jury selection process than it is a result of the trial itself. In your view, was justice done toward Dr. Kate? Since Dr. Kate is herself unaware of the specific role she played in Lillian’s death, do you think she feels that justice was done?
In the book’s final lines, we learn that years after her marriage, Shenandoah still thinks about Bobby Johnson. How might her life have turned out differently had Bobby lived? Do you think Shenandoah would have achieved the same things professionally had she married Bobby in Round Rock? Do you think that, given the chance to reflect on it from the present day, she would exchange her current life for a different one with Bobby?
Author Q & A
1. Although it’s set in the same town, The Trial of Dr. Kate is in many ways a very different book from its predecessor in the Round Rock series, Little Joe. Can you talk about what you feel to be the connections between the two books, beyond just the setting?
Little Joe is about the struggles of a nine year old boy who must adjust to a new life after his parents are killed in a terrible automobile accident. In addition, he must adapt to his grandparents’ ways and life on a farm. Actually, Dr. Kate shows up in this first book as a medical student. In the Trial of Dr. Kate, she is struggling with her own demon, alcoholism.
2. What gave you the idea for structuring The Trial of Dr. Kate around a murder trial? How much of the novel’s presentation of small-town Tennessee—its politics, its social life, its attitudes toward race, alcohol, and women—comes from real life?
Southern literature has always been rich in character studies. That’s because Southerners, by and large, are many times more colorful individuals than those from other parts of the country. They are a product of an agrarian system rooted in the Civil War—or as old time Southerners would say, “The War of Northern Aggression.” Southerners are also known to be hypocritical to a fault. The idea for structuring the novel around an impaired physician just came to me one day. The trial was a natural extension of that idea.
3. Many of the characters in the book have “secret lives”: Army and Bobby are ridge runners, Jake Watson has a relationship with his housekeeper, Buford Frampton initially attempts to keep the existence of his son Lester a secret from the town. Most critically, Dr. Kate is a secret alcoholic at the novel’s start. What do you think about these kinds of “open secrets” among the people of a Southern town? It seems as if everybody knows about them in a way, but nobody really minds.
Southern towns are notorious for secrets. A black man may be sleeping with a white widow or divorcée and everyone may know it, but no one will say anything if the couple are well liked. An alcoholic physician, if she seemed to do a good job taking care of people, would be given a certain amount of leeway. Most people in southern towns are excused for a number of sins as long as no one is hurt and as long as the individual is well liked.
4. This book is peopled with strong female characters, from Shenandoah Coleman and Dr. Kate down to Hattie Mae, Lisbeth Crouch, Edwina Frampton, and Frances Washington. What interests you about writing these strong female characters?
I am a great admirer of strong women because I was raised by my maternal grandmother who was an incredibly strong woman. Let’s face it: women are taking over the world. They make up half of every medical school class and they are astronauts, bankers, Wall Street tycoons, Internet CEOs, etc. You name it. Women are busting through the glass ceiling every day. I say more power to them. I have five daughters, and I want them to have a level playing field.
5. One of the major themes in this book is the question of doctor-assisted suicide. What made you interested in writing about this topic? Do you have strong feelings on the issue one way or the other?
As a physician and surgeon I have witnessed numerous patients die painful deaths when there was no hope of saving them. The majority of individuals in the state of Oregon evidently believe in doctor assisted suicide. Terminal patients are given careful evaluations to make sure they are not depressed, and then they are given medications that allow them to end their life peacefully. I do not have a problem with this attitude.
6. Again, the issue of racism is a major one in the book, centered on the character of Austin Davis. In the interview done for Little Joe, you talked about how the racism and segregation in the time period made you “very angry” when you grew older and were able to understand it. By the 1952 time period of this second novel in the series, do you think there were any major changes in the way racism was expressed in small towns?
Not really. The South is still more racist than other parts of the country. Older southerners have been forced to accept civil rights whether they wanted to or not. The younger generations, by and large, are more liberal and understanding concerning this issue.
7. The book is structured largely as a series of interviews, both Shenandoah asking people in the town about Dr. Kate’s character and official examinations on the witness stand. Why did you choose that structure for telling your story?
It just seemed like a good way to tell her story, to establish who she was and what she stood for. That way her peers could express their feelings in a natural way. All of those individuals who liked and respected her as well as those who did not like her or who were intimidated by her could tell their story without incrimination.
8. Dr. Kate is a fascinating character: at once driven and self-destructive, doing as much good in the town as she seems to be doing evil toward herself. What do you, personally, think of Dr. Kate? Was there a real Dr. Kate you used as a model?
There was no real Dr. Kate. However, as a physician and surgeon who has known numerous family practice doctors in Tennessee and other states, I can tell you that these physicians are dedicated and caring individuals. Most will see in excess of one hundred patients a day and make house calls into the night. I have the utmost respect for them.
9. Finally: in a short scene in the middle of the book, Mr. Sloan of Sloan’s Hardware sells Shenandoah a pocketknife, saying that a knife is “how you take the measure of a person.” Do you own a pocketknife, and if it isn’t too personal, can you tell your readers about it?
I do own a pocket knife and would be lost without it. I picked that trait up from my own grandfather who I lived with when I was a child in Tennessee. It does indeed take the measure of a person, for all the reasons stated in this novel.
Acknowledgments
As always, thanks to the excellent individuals who comprise Greenleaf Book Group. Specifically I would like to thank Kris Pauls and Jeanne Thornton, the editors who keep my manuscripts readable. In addition I want to single out Neil Gonzalez for his excellent dust covers.
Danelle McCafferty was the first professional to see the original manuscript many years ago, and her encouragement kept me moving forward. Susan and Alice Gleason strengthened the story line and plot. I’m grateful to them for the many hours that they labored over the manuscript. And since I never know where to place a comma, I must depend on my good friend Dimples Kellogg to line edit every manuscript that I produce. To my early readers (you know who you are): many thanks for your thoughtful comments.
More Books By Michael E. Glasscock III
When Little Joe Stout survives the car accident that took his parents’ lives, he is sent to live with his maternal grandparents in the small town of Round Rock, Tennessee. Orphaned and missing his Texas home, Little Joe is reluctant to adapt. But his gra
ndparents, especially his grandmother, are up to the challenge of raising him despite their own struggles. Set against the drama of World War II and the first sparks of the civil rights movement, Little Joe’s new home is a microcosm of America in the 1940s as local events mirror the radio broadcasts that bring the news of the day into his grandmother’s kitchen. Little Joe begins the four-part Round Rock series.
ISBN 978-1-60832-566-5
Greenleaf Book Group Press
In the quiet town of Utopia, Texas, life is simple. Local game warden Monty Kilpatrick does his duty catching poachers, smokes too many cigarettes, and tries to keep his marriage afloat. But just across the border in Mexico, drug cartel kingpin Juan Diaz is running his empire with an iron fist. Utopia is along the cartel’s main trafficking routes, and when Monty arrests Diaz’s brother during what he thought was a routine traffic stop, the men’s paths cross. In a flash, the formerly peaceful Utopia becomes a war zone. In order to save his town, his wife, and his pride, Monty must be ready to lose everything he holds true.
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Greenleaf Book Group Press
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