By Davis Coen

 

Oxford’s Proud Larry’s will host a special book release event on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. to celebrate “Sagamore,” a crime novel by Jack Sonni, a beloved local figure and former guitarist for Dire Straits, one of the biggest rock bands of the 80s.

The evening will feature readings from local authors, a performance by Sonni’s band the Leisure Class, and book sales will be provided by Square Books.

Jack, who passed away in August 2023 at the age of 68, finished “Sagamore” just before his untimely death. The novel is a gritty historical tale set in the harsh coal country of 1930s western Pennsylvania. 

It follows Corky Trunzo, a young Italian-American who comes of age amid injustice and violence. and whose tight-knit immigrant community is terrorized by a violent, rogue game warden wielding twin Colt revolvers and unchecked power.

As Corky’s world is upended by cruelty and the silence of a system that refuses to protect its working-class citizens, his defiant grandmother, quietly feared and Mafia-connected, emerges as the backbone of his resistance.

Though set in Sonni’s home state of Pennsylvania, the novel’s themes of injustice and perseverance become deeply echoed as the story makes its way down to Mississippi, and even take a few action-packed twists and turns through parts of Yalobusha County and the Delta.

Beautifully written with lyrical grit and emotional weight, “Sagamore” speaks with the voice of someone who truly understood working-class struggle, as well as Southern culture, which Sonni certainly did, having lived his last years in Taylor. The book doesn’t just honor his outstanding gift for storytelling, but also his chosen home after decades of globetrotting.

Proud Larry’s is a perfect choice for the event, since not only did he play a house-shaking set for the venue’s 30th anniversary celebration, but they also hosted Jack’s tribute show along with local rock group Rocket 88.

With this remarkable final gift, Jack now leaves behind a powerful literary legacy that may resonate as far as his extraordinary musical accomplishments.Published by Water Valley-based Cool Dog Sound, “Sagamore” is also available through their website at www.cooldogsound.com, starting Aug. 1.