Brief

Adolescence is hard, but for Jason Lee Rainey, growing up in the Mississippi South with a Black best friend at his side, it is definitely much harder. With Jason’s late father being a Civil Rights activist, he searches for the meaning behind his social and political involvement, all while dealing with the old, steadfast Southern attitudes about race.

What We Liked

- A touching coming of age story, The Clock of Life doesn’t shy away from important historical events that enrich the narrative and give the story relevancy, tying it to today’s reality in a strong way;
- The depiction of racism and violence found here, while disturbing, may find resonance in lieu of current, still very present, prejudicial ideals. The sheer absurdity of it is enough to evoke discussion within the audience and prevent said ideals to go any further, thus making the film/TV series a catalyst for change;
- The perfect recreation of three decades - from the early 1960s to the mid ’80s - is crucial to the story, establishing concurrent timelines that inform one another in various ways;
- The structure of the book, divided by different years and events, suggests a perfect translation into a TV series. The historical backstory would also find its space here, situating the main narrative with more depth. Stand alone episodes could recreate Jason Lee’s parents’ life back in the 1960s, not just as flashback sequences.

Synopsis

Hadlee, Mississippi, late 1970s. Country white boy Jason Lee Rainey starts in a new school and quickly becomes best friends with Samson Johnson, a black boy. The Chubb brothers, racist as they come, harass them from day one, yet it does not stop the two boys from creating a deep bond. At home, Jason Lee lives with his protective and outspoken mother Cassie and his uncle Mooks, who needs to be cared for after being wounded in Vietnam. Jason Lee’s late father, J.L., was a Civil Rights activist who died in that same war. With his family not really speaking about his father’s legacy, it becomes very difficult for Jason Lee to learn more about it. Meanwhile, the mother is involved with a new man, Mr. Boyle. Their relationship leads her to a nervous breakdown due to unresolved issues with J.L.’s death, and she goes away to a hospice.

Now the man of the house, Jason Lee finds a hidden box in his mother’s closet that contains, amongst J.L.’s belongings from the army, his father’s diary. By reading it, Jason Lee learns more about the details of his father’s activism, including his involvement in the Selma to Montgomery march and of his good friend nicknamed Spam, learning that his father had a great friendship just like his and Samson’s. Jason Lee’s newfound knowledge gives him the strength to stand up to racism - something his father would’ve done. One day, Jason Lee and Samson pick up a hitchhiker with Samson’s old car, and the mysterious guy ends up leaving a knife in the back of the truck. The hitchhiker turns out to be a Chubb visiting from out of state. When he attacks Samson to get the knife back, Samson ends up killing him. Samson gets killed soon after during an altercation with the remaining Chubb brothers.

Jason Lee copes with the tragedy by fully embracing his father’s ideals. He teams up with Reba, a young girl he grew up with who’s starting to see him through different eyes, and together, they locate Spam. Jason Lee promises to become a lawyer for the NAACP and he now goes by J.L., like his father. His decade-long search for his roots have finally come full circle.

About The Author

Nancy Klann-Moren is a former marketing executive who took up writing as an outlet on long flights while traveling for work.