The Penalty for Success tells the story of the murder of a black man in the 1940s Lowndes County, Alabama. It is a story that reveals the scheme to cover up a 'lynching'. The author's story of her father's brutal murder presents convincing evidence that he was lynched, although he was not hanged, mutilated, or burned in front of a crowd of people. Elmore Bolling was shot six times in the front of his body with a pistol and once in the back with a shotgun. After years of research, including interviews with relatives and elderly Lowndes County residents, the author sought and found answers to many troubling questions that she had about her family, especially about events in her father's life. Her journey of discovery presents a revealing narrative of a time, a place, and a people that challenges us to rethink the reality of life for both blacks and whites in a rural, southern community. -- book cover flap.