Books like The Man in My Basement

My friend Don gave me this book to read several years ago, and it still affects me when I think about it. The story begins with a strange request: a wealthy white man named Bennet asks to rent out the basement of the home of Charles Blakey, who is black. Bennet builds a cage in the basement, and eventually locks himself inside it. Blakey is confused by the man's actions, and after some philosophical discussions, learns that Bennet is trying to atone for something.I was totally absorbed in the book and loved the discussions about guilt, punishment and redemption. The novel is only 192 pages, but it's very powerful. I was reminded of this book because Don died last week. It was an unexpected heart attack, despite the fact that he was a runner and was in great shape. Walter Mosley was Don's favorite writer, and because of his enthusiasm, I've read several of Mosley's books. "The Man in my Basement" is my favorite because it is so thoughtful and well-written, and it reminds me of the good conversations I had with my friend. I'd like to think that our friends never really leave us, especially when we have good books to remember them by.