A Soaring History of Mother Emanuel, the Church That Endured a Massacre

2019 New America Fellow Kevin Sack's book, Mother Emanuel, was reviewed in The New York Times.

Mother Emanuel is a masterpiece in which Kevin Sack tells the story of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Charleston, S.C., “the most historic Black church in the South’s most historic city,” now best known as the site of an egregious act of barbarism: the killing of nine congregants on June 17, 2015, by a white supremacist.

Sack, a former reporter for The New York Times, delivers a dense, rich, captivating narrative, featuring vivid prose, prodigious research and a palpable emotional engagement that is disciplined by a meticulous attention to the facts. His excavation is an essential addition to existing histories and ought to be recognized as a singular journalistic performance.