William Faulkner’s Light in August (1932) was written after some of his better-known novels, such as The Sound and the Fury (1929) and As I Lay Dying (1930). It came after his marriage to Estelle Oldham Franklin and after the death of their firstborn child, Alabama. The novel reflects the racism, the religious fanaticism, the loss of civil rights, and the violence Faulkner witnessed in the 1930s, and thus is quite pertinent to the world we find ourselves in today. It also bears out what is probably the most famous quote from Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Linda E. Neville is a retired public-school teacher with a Master’s degree from Penn State. She spends her time researching, learning and sharing with family and friends. Clarksburg, MA is her home and the local history of the Northern Berkshires a favorite topic.

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