Review: Love, loss and racism in ‘The Son of Mr. Suleman’

By MOLLY SPRAYREGEN

“The Son of Mr. Suleman,” the final novel by the late Eric Jerome Dickey, is the profound story of Professor Pi Suleman, a Black man living in Memphis who, in 2019, must constantly navigate a world governed by Trump-supporting white supremacists. His colleagues where he is an adjunct professor are constantly making racist comments, and his career hangs in the balance due to threats from a high-powered professor who both assaults him and blackmails him.

This book is a powerhouse. It is impossible not to become fully absorbed in every scene, the vibrant, dynamic characters drawing you in again and again. It is by no means a light read. The story is dense, and in many ways quite disturbing, but it is this way in its unapologetic effort to confront the dark realities and harsh truths that we continue to face today.