Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Sum of His Worth
The Sum of His Worth
The Sum of His Worth
Ebook461 pages7 hours

The Sum of His Worth

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

In this coming-of-age story of love, heroism and murder, a prize-winning author returns to his Alabama childhood during the 1960’s bloody Civil Rights Movement. In the vein of To Kill a Mockingbird, Kirkus Reviews calls the novel “a profound, engrossing ... heartbreakingly real novel of the South.”
In the August heat before young Sonny Poe starts ninth grade, he witnesses in the cool nighttime woods the beating and lynching of a black boy. He escapes, but his life is now irrevocably changed.
Sonny lives out the rest of summer in terror of being found out by the town’s agitated KKK. Now desperate for guidance and answers, he latches onto a progressive doctor with a crusading spirit, a man who will turn Sonny’s and his own mysterious life upside down in a tension-fueled thriller of betrayal and corruption that can only end in tragedy—and hope.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherRon Argo
Release dateJul 27, 2013
ISBN9781301235667
The Sum of His Worth
Author

Ron Argo

Ron Argo has been a psych-ward aide, a photographer, a Florida Keys boat captain, an award-winning newspaper reporter, a combat correspondent in LBJ's war, a plumber, carpenter, electrician, all-around jack and restorer of old houses, a would-be musician and artist who can no longer play a guitar with the arthritis. He holds three degrees to include journalism, literature and the MFA; he's gone to jail a time or two in his reckless youth but never had to post bail, been a voter in all elections, except when in Vietnam where the thought was ludicrous. He was never a bartender or preacher. Nor did he ever hold political office, if you don't count chairing a citizen's committee appointed by a board of supervisors to fight corruption over animals, and whose prize-winning newspaper series on that subject helped created the first low-cost spay and neuter clinics in a Southern California city.He has published one of the more important American war novels of the last century, an epic that one acclaimed critic/academic compared to the works of Mailer, Dos Passos, Jones and Crane.Argo's only been married twice, so he has no pressing momentum for pumping out promoting book after book, as some novelists must to do to support ex spouses, etc. He has a working, caring wife to assure his maintenance and thus survival.He is however the author of these fine, award-winning historical and thriller novels, Year of the Monkey, Baby Love, The Courage to Kill and The Sum of His Worth. Other works are in his head and perhaps going down on paper soon as he picks himself up and gets back in the game.Argo and spouse Mary--children having flown the nest--live in a small and snug community in San Diego where, like Voltaire, he's been there, learned some lessons and now tends his garden.

Read more from Ron Argo

Related to The Sum of His Worth

Related ebooks

Historical Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for The Sum of His Worth

Rating: 3.6666666666666665 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

3 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    “The Sum of his Worth” by Ron ArgoIn today’s day and age, we don’t think about the prejudices of races. Yes, there are some who do not get along with others, but we don’t worry about segregation and the beatings and killings associated with breaking the rules.“The Sum of his Worth” takes the reader on a journey when blacks and whites wouldn’t think about mixing in the south. Even though laws were trying to be changed to overcome these prejudices, there are those in the Deep South that refused to consider blacks anything but dispensable. Lynching was part of life for the white man in Alabama and Georgia. Sonny Poe—a sixteen-year-old—meets Dr. Joe, and they are two white guys in the heart of the south. Sonny already has friends from the neighboring town Ash, who are black. He doesn’t see a problem with it, but does understand how being seen with blacks could affect him and his friends. But Sonny is rebellious and refuses to treat blacks any differently than the whites and Dr. Joe is trying to change the way people think. And some people in the Alabama town consider that to be traitorous and go after both Sonny and Dr. Joe with killing on their minds. They group together the KKK and try to murder Sonny, Dr. Joe, and any black person who thinks to try to rise above their unfortunate status. Will Sonny and Dr. Joe both die trying to do what’s right?Argo has woven a story that unfortunately, was a little too close to the truth to think of as fiction. This well-written novel will have you gasping and flinching at the corruption and vileness. A very poignant novel, written in the voice of those of the 60s. Well done, Argo.Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “The Other Side: Melinda’s Story”

Book preview

The Sum of His Worth - Ron Argo

%cbook_preview_excerpt.html}ےƑ@fّYVM)rƶ.MXqo@dfDTvI13/Y?=٭}iY~>4OqehyRsC?ȗ}>86/}oUٞw\:ԥ]\POw5׿to_?4^er{̱&)nu`O6\q/>̮o6ƇD?SYXY`Z|f&7rCF7xNo?m&~kױk؆Ώ6Y vbs^?̇80}/O;||BF%J䓟=/].䓏 Mg H 65Wox://ecu`O<.ER5ӛo>?~ӛ?|ne~Cm#u,6/vyUx y3nn^n'?#fyM9| X[r[wnn~I,x0@ܻ0_Se5[mN6,7V'=yzYEҝ|{_v>}r|z'zO>>M~T>~'gG9x_#Ul(&?|_C i<|*tm _mQO7[$/XQ}(P96?6_N92}XˀDl\;R7BOu^7!%nI W GQn|ɓgxAe뚯_h~i^o8j;RY9rT?4WtQl "ӈ[m8 [a䂃r'g#̋l{O8a\d;5sLq"ckUaAgl27T|O{OF.8 yɏСi 0vT`ۇ1zH@Óm5{Or7WäLFnCд}Ǟij<ϼKcM"23¿*,,S؝gjP9?.5ޥsG,.m$0}CeM'0K?o;9b9g/~ULxI}n'2u!MqĖG< erVOsϥV۝;b q%q'x,cMmy|)m3{m}<^ 18bkF/Mn =%^a>259X+2q^u<ێ;II?|NO2R"\Qb#4 ض4?\9@W;lYT;1FKa7=8JUc 2TZ|$Fn H; *P[.d&W2>"6TcF|YEYͰx-4_A"~[o`=TlC*$KtU[d cܺxW(~ 6v)2?(0=HviE˟<`V/,9@M]ie e2nB?b |m U k#l28 : D m&=NpdT|:z9y20O(489pOd2AVCn$H/Жl5؈ 2' _0]JƞbIAΜ nDj~#+r)$-ǣLK/ׯKbbzFjz[NHmHN_Dᰤܛ~5eVOSf/:{B%6U\ßh@dh:b^8JQ/z;A'^0w$A*݊i{<';ɲY=6Zώxk(+' _qٕH-)yc#3FyCFzmjYɃZv}tfE2|V*W13@tQ~(b4 sv)G"41E5a6X\ y#W}S˅Ig nnu~7sR7o >Zٯ(85qcNnv9AצoEP:ŝ UP7o lcgQ "],%@F1\; xqA,^q=C B>dDzA-ILtՉ@kanYvn5Y`?. "}M ~l8uԾ#cb2 IJ /"S,IC5ɉq(4iW*|aLFi/:6#uxB?܊^"8qQ;QgbDtR=e?{S`;X ˷$& je-3q jHF=3ƐD2a/?AЫK,(5y'OU53crܷKԻ$_GwP$TNv$dMGx%0ٳ dޙ7]GAfԠ(ʮq*z>y3iA+:ၼ8Ε~49?ӸHVwsL\D 0b.70NUkQ r04q٢ /vJTM_g$951[uxϢGP`C. 𱠔 vQ 5^ 5٭MH<+l+XY}׳H&oMPFH^ ئ- uȣ%c8Gg@jZ+gu~-]`B9 uF)>,Թ5'NnSed|Mb*V&Q1/(-L$kv9gRzhcfȟEG7?Ua.9ɦ>oTF&9kL5;aq80q$dim㹣NDojI@+L ?R[Aa\X9=y M'T-'{9iSxPV 3S)j^21$sҹr.|@;BUz;Xφwr ߾[. VKN㻷w=mܟdžtO:b q[+te +MY>1[lrrQ51_ʹp;0!U@Mx`6?]p=Ί?4OsG^9/$A5GqÔ5)#N'Ȯv#CZj>PJN.2`cnhs~] :ld׻W]nаUDxh;0څBH!H4 !QVgQ2]:Py;.r'|_ R>09g!*l$y>3!aS *# Z`-Phf |N6ۻVȂf12 &0'/F'٥GێB_l"켂̒LP50mY]Z]hR%j*?Pg<93/ݮZ]NTΑ| {3$*>|V*w+ "UTWSٗA!t)KTa<RE=/RD#}v0DQȽLgStɔ" f( ](m#uysT 0sW &IC(߅%% $*dVQHġ$7 5 ُ7:jP))2*ϳce"aGu yxS YG>~i RѧVt#;oٍ^qb1>id>/rje Y\:(ҹS|-B=&B*X1:|Y&BL,+!*Շg~ST (?,1.. u$%6<%*?_>yF0qVu*GbPȠ٤u-jYĴvܳ"җƅ_ ?#$>>z2--$D Vt*:BۥS B_~G}G|a%B 7ߙQT T<:M%N3͸iCBr#IjlJ1يor:eoej8L%3=jpe±a5L6Vl 5迭N2dEACT^ sj3vvɵ?)NӉ|80H) kYAs "oaLƓXp;s#sDI9㨵E!_.{ @_1+\lUȐ Crcs:vG5#% P-*i(jx˹vjHsi+@_C<`ཆHSh YtԈBaMrv <I9xˈ.& B:OS(8)x=߀Mu=\T+[+β;&2_Cq"̣Lk{=6O/󩪙sETzXBORJiTyEQdz1iR(dAU T4( c%2:I0ѕv*tFmQocz˖Ϝs"tJ,=4~7ɓ3 z!GZ7ɳz_.ԯ ҷ[Zz,LEbCs%4 ba7^5WR9qkPv̊:k4O=|I9m!d˸{M| e ,Hd Rj4 $^xp%r`&:x43٭ (7aNdI)3iZVaVlIrpΨI.=Y}Zj C~:("YT' [`RWLN#@rCÆaF"&}gZPpA&D/ ,`jFqJ˘ -U1e25x5P IB'xUMü-)cv9d mW j]bDxV-F)Ws$2ZH_MB,܉eHhRf`A{}\٘ذ:hfx5T]ZsX;q]N"xJC7N%[d1)^_ ٞI5t *v-.Iÿ zw"ljfX&gH\\F`b\*XCĝr*;_݈Nyyo@7zfc+Q(&.Cs.%e6H:@v XغYF_az9gU|,6NKEĨ;T,%xgI9*hclbo(:٢/n05jQ[ԕ8F]@t;PCX$UFs5ϚA]Jkg6 ^\/WOt?Y~ 1r iͯ W$d7*ɯ1R Tt-mޛ| 92#K2Xls֥H-'Iգ7# 66%Y>Ѻfc$"1EֽE*-C7 zD.*F ."=m>qDž>KTm'6#o@!r"d Q;L9zhy250ˡlݛI [>'`mxNl/z: yw=Qbʞ2)nSU4oP RV`LA=:,j4Ƞi28m,4-RE2Z>zwst$Z'ee4 ӝ"P01jkP3n:TiŽ1jBn'G{0o9 ^d#0JJǧ4(gʂC}WoA :|v2bؘ>{%sN4 Cg ۙ3ލ;%!3Z,ZL7$),+A$[;mjt5:ɧN*zD$%i3=/B;h a-fl| ЌZzɜ\jxw.ETѧ(A2sJĬxX!X jDz$ef3RYDQij`_"_L]AgZΆcfl^\mTEJj&P.3 8Tǚfm EVSJv\PIz>-rU*t =;TKMt$}S4*ܶ=RP:H$I`4Ȝ۬>B[+Ct6ʈuSh[G[prL^ !hyzrg.RX2V`}INC>12@\:}X~_;4.oe?<1C(ZZ62\w9(_X᱓/ˡs6!AaE4mC6Ds1wD1oבdV7] rY;,J#_uN.*1o͊T >8Җ`;'k&|:-xzt]U2nB.05hT0Z(YKQb)|$[AࠂY|Y:.}D#~#/ϔEzޣyV +Xzpoi/6:ijPW!/#.Frf9e~%{r@C\0_MA(kN=r25׾%ʒ9fYĤq҆7c+X4 .:7uZ=P(v{@ HC^fvbfl+R ZCZD Qt*;sS#?)z/M"2;k˿G -f5OCxXkʛ5&? c躠\[&̕3 [D"פ6Ȼea~1&O{cdP W*{ޢtP`87n7;,EĔ0-Jo#PdZ'E=+Fp i+rG>9@Y %r.P]#l0$p̦)f@4~˨86g@MccvDaz$3z!ܖLяC-_.-I@"qWK t~ej!(Dw96r W`)q9V?ڏa¿<%DV!~I7(@I[E]Фu?T>.Yha"4v7h')ݥgj3Lj#Z VZ zElX#ADwy&b&n-c]pUns]"YKZtJяzD}3 Cr^e}'9Xu0$ڑyAٱ>yﴫSqGBB[ &P]cu>',YFv!F$#|5S! Ye$![MX0ji` 떻Z(2:;v%`tK UC6Aދκ(|TbcHr=2z 3ld5o!,$^*t? ݼ#D],bgF 9fۖ f9( _eF~jnh j^t}*;hwty SʁTg::2_2+F2t3(<%fdpg]/ e"?L,paF:~( +;'蓱66[%LZٔ$Zq%ߺ^i\{wzyhͱTS,wƒ2[&0tp6Fk 1S0SK#H.eajz;ep5PMH!! @Ck?k-ĶZW5Ǖmd`ڡhך{\6x}X[.bSMmr<ÑKq]ƽ-}R=oO~N62*[3aYKIJpa\ExgDm;3xYNUB{d%q sioߩ 6bל{d;nAAm"gݜd#,az ʦnsRl!̥S`nXU.@k7/8HR*#'|H‰nE,,?uk(f!Y8iӍ+F} S,FN:EkX?+` %X'*Yx4 FgS_Q_,Ҽfu൓,>-b.hҭ@rF4 CO 1f]v4l.xaGfdx(|Ľo&Rb(Y#Rͨ'#0?HLWP%xch'}."skCU\k22R_˕2h&mh8$`lͩd033 S)VFkPA5 $7JR5ZXP0Kt'ewQXWJ:Bn -f*sOsxv1rC%Ms~^a4=U㾛\9\g<|֙=nU¯Dp@v됶-\UxT&RV+D D{NyUpٓ5qnx'c2 )[/Dʴ"m7j[ifv5!.ؕ\:ȱZ\oxDfM:R&U;\3Z:B?Yރ++dFQoJaks`ە7c&21gMLυmD`\쭶̫u\Iut2k'ʪ\φځQ3lz-/ !y:˄ = 0,2&j]*RUG`K0k|jY[h#ul͢][||[Wy;rX\0'Tc "QhT>y?l26(&eM|h0kDr*ho2<sٛ{[$uKX+7X-q͛Ћvٝsy;)]JuZm6KӊA =C~qޡ3P &\2E$iXxV 2x4Ĉ,3-gJa^{P>Ikiu>h&M;Enέ.KỤőJ'뙄+%m.eϛ?x3&fG|AYD4}|?sB,_b^Qի(kƇk1lTnT4#_`9@H6S~<)#uİЂ{|,z5-\5&v.I׃h~zTBR-V4wCYwY}.:t˽,_սv$@MX{-*]_ KWnBK-V]v9_=P" Cm`/C64X[_JQ^Vo,ǝ}00_ܫ>BkCUr-zaI7n)IY_t?֎)R_> ޕFh]IT\zo1EmJ,k?:i7tlٖ} *+Fk|mRM;=6-!9Dib${W=TNGkc7o碳 mp[)-zR#iuqJR)B^V_uN.|>K];J>NT-mnP)(,@X\6ס՜f-'61{dFXxn[!;}'FڸYa+Q"IaArdVT=8gUҌh4 zGo\䗉>ijtV!)͈[3kCȵSdNjg1 .5;tPk5}g[Q#= <im|e&h֋W8 1֏WYR1fThv toVYbD>{' f :20֢wU,c4j_{Y`T"-aͷwt5nL9"Ebu}ů&WN/d96>X<<ʋZfE~cdigo͵BcФCXhPa׵{vM09 qV b%ͮV)I^y6a7z;^a@5z'lq}QjLN҆7nkRmEKWܵ^ݼ}~Od&4c0Mi:1n߶a.9JT[<gi rhcί.c%wLg{R#.b-ΗS&Ý;[;U{Sm(7y>q"zV B QT; 䖱.mrwmhmoO^Vņk^ԇ}gzUkCLkJmqo0]#rYd^I-\|^nsMUvÁed.˶#5en}C&Q5UDLcIWsi~~bWQw(g"y7ډG~Fƪ|}@~rxbӒ2i]/ xA,;>I&GrgJ=\*)VHnMEn2R!.HŇpU1j&:<@HҊ[
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1