Just Mercy

In my book club group chat this month, someone recommended everyone share some of their top reads from the year. One person recommended Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, and then several other people commented how much they loved the book and called it things like transformative, important, wrenching, amazing, etc. I was like, wow, I've got to read this, so I got it on audiobook. The book description says, "Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice."

This book was SO GOOD. I was completely engaged throughout and always anxious to read more. The stories were just heavy and haunting, and I was so inspired by Bryan's dedication to help people in desperate need. The book really impacted my perspective on lots of things (like children being tried as adults and the death penalty), and I came away from this book being so grateful for all it opened my eyes to. This was an excellent read.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)