From Sinners to Haints

 

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I’ll admit it—I was influenced. When filmmaking powerhouse Ryan Coogler dropped his latest movie, Sinners, the buzz was immediate. Alongside a chorus of praise came a wave of book recommendations inspired by the film's release. My timeline quickly filled with posts from book lovers and content creators suggesting what to read if you enjoyed Sinners—a mix of classics and fresh, contemporary picks. One recommendation stood out above the rest: Ring Shout by author and historian P. Djèlí Clark. The moment I read the synopsis, I practically dislocated my shoulder rushing to download it. Two days and a binge-read later, I can confidently say: I loved every page.

This book starts with a bang—literally. We meet our trio staked out atop a building, watching a 1922 KKK rally in Macon, Georgia, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. What follows is a high-stakes showdown between three gun-slinging, magic sword-wielding heroines and a monstrous entity known as a Ku Klux—creatures that possess those who surrender themselves to hate. Far from cliché, this story uses magic and whimsical horror to invite us to confront the darkest parts of ourselves. It draws on ancient Black traditions and reinforces a powerful truth: love and community really can conquer all.

What first drew me to the book was its title. In an interview with the author, Clark is asked where he found inspiration for Ring Shout. He mentions that the idea of the KKK as monsters first occurred to him after reading ex-slave narratives from the Federal Writers' Project. In college, I took an African American history class that sparked a deep interest in how Africans carried their ancestral traditions to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade—and how those traditions transformed over time. The one that resonated with me the most is the ring shout. As described in the Black Music Research Journal, the ring shout is a spiritual dance performed in a circle, through which enslaved Africans preserved their cultural and religious practices using movement and song. These sacred rituals not only connected them to their roots but also anchored them in the reality of their present. Today, the ring shout remains an integral part of Black culture, particularly amongst the Gullah community. See the example of a ring shout below: 

Ring Shout is more than just a tale of monsters and magic; it's a bold reimagining of history that encourages us to confront the pain while still making room for joy, resilience, and resistance. P. Djèlí Clark masterfully blends folklore, horror, and historical fiction to create a story that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. If you're looking for a book that will entertain you, challenge you, and stay with you long after, this is it. Ring Shout doesn’t just tell a story—it casts a spell.