Written in 1976, Joan Sampson’s only novel is an amazing piece of allegorical fiction that seems to be ripped directly from today’s headlines. It tells the story of a small New Hampshire community that is bullied and conned into giving up everything it loves by an auctioneer who promises freedom and joy but delivers only pain, suffering, and loss.

There are so many connections between the story and today, but the big takeaway is that evil can only survive when it remains in the darkness and no one acts. Only sunlight and communication can take down the auctioneer, but the damage is irreparable by the time the community figures it out.

The chilling bit, and the line that will always stick with me is the following, spoken by the auctioneer at a town meeting in the final pages: Whatever I’ve done, you let me do.

An excellent read, and one that drives home the evil of the world today in the same way allegories like Animal Farm did.

When the best of us remain silent, the worst of us take control.