Overview
- This book is about a young lawyer who just recently won a huge case in Mississippi. The Hailey case was pivotal in getting a black man justice. His celebrity in the trial caught national attention, but also got his house firebombed. This is book 2 of a series of Jake Brigance books the trial lawyer. In this iteration Jake is responsible for settling the estate of Seth Hubbard a wealthy man who had terminal cancer who killed himself and left 90% of his estate around 20 million to his black maid; leaving his kids, their kids and exes out of the inheritances. This brought about a lot of discussion in the small town of Mississippi in which Jake Brigance works. The black woman maid looked like a gold digger who got close to an old dying man to try to coerce her way into his will by sexual advances and the like, or so the community thought. The trial proceeded with almost every affected party having a lawyer. The judge who plays a prominent role in the story (as well as Jake Brigance’s life) jailed one lawyer from Memphis and disbanded the others, so they wouldn’t flood the court. During the proceeding a search party of one senior attorney was put in Alaska to find Seth Hubbard’s brother who was to receive 5% of his deceased brother’s will. Upon finding Ancil Hubbard his testimony was video tapped and sent to Mississippi and in this testimony Ancil explains how the Hubbard’s got the land that produced some of the families’ wealth. The Hubbard’s grandfather hung the owner of land and burned the house of the black maids Father leaving the family with no clothes or food and hiding from the Hubbard’s who were looking to kill off the rest of the family. This put in perspective why Seth did what he did in leaving most of his amassed fortune to his maid who was a descendant of the family who originally owned the land and brought about longtime healing for each family.
Theme
- Some people never forget afflictions and terrible behaviors from their predecessors. Similar to non-Jews who risk their lives to shelter or get Jewish people out of Nazi occupied territory, there are people who are secret allies and silently help affected people when they see an injustice has occurred. There will always be a reconciliation. Justice comes in many forms and sometimes one has to wait to see it. But when justice is brought to life it forges its own path of truth and right shining on so many others to do the right thing. Sometimes justice does not always mean restoration but this case when the maid received her inheritance back properly it is right.
Biggest Takeaway
- Biggest takeaway of this novel was the manner the young lawyer carried himself. A white man being thrust once again in the furnace of racial politics in Harris County Mississippi. This furnace produced the hate which caused his home to be firebombed for representing a black family in an early case and winning. His wife and young daughter were unharmed, but this young hungry attorney once again returns. He fights to the letter of the law to see the handwritten will carried out. While the opposition schemed around him and used deceptive practices, buying testimonies, and stealing documents to build their case and weaken Jakes he stayed steadfast and plucked away at the leads for why such an ill man would leave almost 20 million dollars to his maid. In the end Jake emerged victorious after his quest brought forth the truth and restitution for the maid and her family.
Overall Satisfaction
- 8.5/10 Overall this book was very well written (as usual for John Grisham). Each character brought a different element of the story to the forefront. Even the marginal placing of an attractive male cousin of the maid, coming to convince her he was a part of the family (just so he could get some money if she won). Showed a southern hospitality the family had and also an eagerness for attention the women of her family greatly wanted from a man who seemed from out of the city limits. A looking out for more. Combined with John Grisham’s style of storytelling where you feel as if you’re in the court rooms of Mississippi and on the porch drinking with Judge Atlee, or in the car with Jake Brigance and his wife talking. The book plays like a movie in the mind and has great run time though the pages reach to 600. This exciting tell of Jake Brigance is worth the time.
Comments on the Author
- John Grisham’s style of writing is unique because it gives the reader the feeling they are sitting in the best seat to a movie or watching the events play out as they are off scene but right in the story. Down to the look of a house, or style of a car, or the feeling a character gets when in their hometown these elements of detail provide the reader with so much information for the feelings, emotions and reactions the story presents. John Grisham is the standard when it comes to the legal novel and is the expert story teller.
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