JUST MERCY
A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson
In my non-fiction round-up last month, I mentioned a few books that were difficult to read, but worth it (read round-up here). Just Mercy is an incredible, but devastating addition to that group. You may have seen the 2019 movie starring Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx, but I honestly can't imagine the degree of nuance and context that must have been lost in a two-hour movie. And let’s be honest, if you’re an L&L subscriber, I’m sure you’d read the book first anyway!
In this autobiographical work, Stevenson weaves the story of his own journey from law school to the founding and running of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Alabama, with one of his most famous trials. EJI was founded to help reverse death row sentences in Alabama, though its scope has grown enormously over time. One of the first cases Stevenson took on was that of Walter McMillian, who was accused of killing an 18-year-old girl. Not only was he innocent with a credible alibi, but he (and his primary accuser) was held on death row before even going to trial. It’s a terrifying story of corruption, racism and mob mentality. Oh, and I know our readers will appreciate the irony that this all happened in the hometown of Harper Lee.
Stevenson also includes stories of many other cases, both successes and failures which help illustrate just how deeply the prejudice, ineptitude and malice is rooted in our judicial system. He is a talented writer who brings to life each and every one of his clients’ stories and shines a light on how much work there is to be done before we can even think about claiming “liberty and justice for all.” (Lily)
