Though he's well known for his crime and detective novels, Chester Himes wrote two works of political, social realist fiction early in his career. Lonely Crusade, his second novel, drew comparisons to Dostoevsky and praise from James Baldwin but also suffered a critical drubbing from the mainstream press. A commercial failure as well, the novel was hated by both the right-wing and left-wing establishment for Himes' honest depiction of how a black man is used as a pawn and a symbol by conservative business interests and leftist organizations. He couldn't catch a break, but the book has outlasted its initial reception. The story of a black union organizer at an aircraft factory in Los Angeles in 1943, the novel is a tough but empathetic look at the intertwined psychology of the oppressed and their oppressors. Unlike many polemical novels of the period, the characters here are complex and distinct, not one-dimensional symbols. Though Lee Gordon, the union organizer, is the main character and focus, the supporting characters are finely detailed and vital, providing multiple perspectives, critiques, and a more complex understanding of every choice made. Rather than forcing his characters to be mouthpieces for his message, Himes creates a community of differing voices and lets them all speak.
