A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

Many people associate the Ku Klux Klan with the South. But in Timothy Egan’s compelling and infuriating history, you’ll learn about the rise of the Klan in the 1920s Midwest, particularly Indiana. In a chilling story that brings to mind echoes of the recent past, A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them (2023) shows how a smooth-talking charlatan fueled hatred and abuse.  

D. C. Stephenson, a violent criminal and con man who quickly rose to power as the Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan, had police officers, politicians, judges, and preachers in his pocket. His unfettered rise slowed in large part due to the deathbed declaration of one of his victims, Madge Oberholtzer. She was kidnapped, attacked, and raped by Stephenson; his brutal crimes led to her death 29 days later.  

There were many victims of the Klan as a whole—lynching, intimidation tactics, abuse of power, and even national legislation restricting immigration (which had lasting repercussions—too few Jews were allowed entry into the US as they were trying to escape the Nazis in the 1930s. The Nazis claimed inspiration from the KKK). 

A strong example of how history is cyclical, how the actions of one person can have a major impact, and how there is always more to learn. This is an important book.   

Content warning: this book will make you angry and contains descriptions of violence, rape, and torture.