Books to Read Before They Become Movies

Matthew McConaughey's penchant for playing unlikely Southern heroes makes him a perfect fit for the role of farmer Newton Knight in Free State of Jones (out June 24. During the Civil War, Knight led a rebellion against the Confederacy and ultimately launched a mixed-race enclave in the heart of Mississippi. The Jones County story has been retold often, which is a good reason to check in with Bynum's valuable historical account. Not only does she go deep on the power dynamics that made Jones County and Knight such unique Southern figures, but she also shows how, for 150 years, the story has played a central role in American folklore about slavery, war and gender.