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4.72 AVERAGE
4.72 AVERAGE
Like many people, I rushed to read this book after watching the movie of the same title. I was glad I listened to the audiobook, because the author is a fantastic narrator.
This book is not just a memoir about Bryan Stevenson's professional career as a lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama. The book felt more like a classroom lecture of the best kind, where Mr. Stevenson discussed challenges and plights of our judicial system and using his own experiences as examples of such atrocities through the lens of individuals being sentenced to death, life without parole, or other unusual and cruel punishments.
I can't tell you how many times listening to this book my heart would ache at the injustices afflicted to so many people, sometimes audibly gasping out of disbelief. Stevenson is a masterful storyteller and teacher, and I appreciated that he didn't go on rants about the various issues he presented. Instead, he would provide background history on decisions made by our judicial and legal leaders coupled with some vignettes about real live people that were affected by the consequences of these rules and policies in place.
I think books and stories like these drive the point home that we have to remember that no matter the political or social issue at hand, it is personal as long as people are involved - we can't separate the humanity from our actions and decisions. My heartstrings really pulled when hearing about people with disabilities being sentenced when their lawyers didn't take the time to look into their medical/psychiatric history, not doing their clients and justice. This isn't to say wrongdoers shouldn't be punished, but books like this one spoke to my heart about the importance of civility, humanity, and rehabilitation.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in our legal and justice system, as well as American history and other social science topics.
This book is not just a memoir about Bryan Stevenson's professional career as a lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama. The book felt more like a classroom lecture of the best kind, where Mr. Stevenson discussed challenges and plights of our judicial system and using his own experiences as examples of such atrocities through the lens of individuals being sentenced to death, life without parole, or other unusual and cruel punishments.
I can't tell you how many times listening to this book my heart would ache at the injustices afflicted to so many people, sometimes audibly gasping out of disbelief. Stevenson is a masterful storyteller and teacher, and I appreciated that he didn't go on rants about the various issues he presented. Instead, he would provide background history on decisions made by our judicial and legal leaders coupled with some vignettes about real live people that were affected by the consequences of these rules and policies in place.
I think books and stories like these drive the point home that we have to remember that no matter the political or social issue at hand, it is personal as long as people are involved - we can't separate the humanity from our actions and decisions. My heartstrings really pulled when hearing about people with disabilities being sentenced when their lawyers didn't take the time to look into their medical/psychiatric history, not doing their clients and justice. This isn't to say wrongdoers shouldn't be punished, but books like this one spoke to my heart about the importance of civility, humanity, and rehabilitation.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in our legal and justice system, as well as American history and other social science topics.
I have never been a supporter of the death penalty and am grateful that Bryan Stevenson brings to light the dangers of capital punishment and life imprisonment sentences for minors. He presents some of his own commentary on this but also weaves in stories of real people he has helped and tried to help. Highly recommend.
We hear about judicial reform and problems with the legal system all the time, but how many of us really know specifics about the issues? This book really taught me so much about a lot of important topics. It's hard to believe the main cases Just Mercy focuses on were in the 90s because they could be ones that are happening right now. Stevenson writes with a great mix of detail and empathy and I look forward to continue learning and finding more of his work.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
It was so well written & very inspiring. It made me so angry that people are still treated this way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Police brutality
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
The most important book I've read this year, should be an essential read for everyone!
Recommended to me by a friend, I didn't know what to expect when I started Just Mercy . What I got was page after page of unbelievable injustices, cultural and racial biases, and just plain heartbreak. America's criminal justice system is broken and every year sweeps up hundreds of thousands of victims. Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who seeks to save some of those victims, specifically, by representing condemned prisoners on Alabama's death row. Just Mercy is his story intertwined with those he tries to free.
It took a few chapters for me to grow accustomed to Stevenson's style but once I was in, I was hooked. Just Mercy primarily focuses on the story of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted of murdering a young white woman in rural Alabama. While McMillian, and the evidence, proclaimed his innocence from the start, both were blatantly ignored throughout a trial that lasted a mere few days and ended with a death sentence. Stevenson recounts his efforts to understand McMillian's case and the pitfalls that lead to his bewildering conviction. It's a riveting read that I desperately wanted more of.
The rest of the book focuses on other cases Stevenson represented, each one outlining a glaring flaw in the American justice system. Often, it is the exploitation of the country's most vulnerable: the poor, the mentally ill, homeless children, those whose past traumas prevent a normal and healthy life. Just Mercy examines the historical implications of injustice and the court rulings that cemented these ideals. It shows a glaring pattern of how deep seeded biases won out over basic empathy and mercy in the name of "public safety" time and time again. Stevenson emphasizes this historical doggedness with personal accounts of those who had lived through these trials, and those who didn't. He presents numerous moral issues against capital punishment and mass incarceration that, honestly, I had never thought of. It was an immersive, compelling novel that everyone should read to better understand a major issue facing our country.
It took a few chapters for me to grow accustomed to Stevenson's style but once I was in, I was hooked. Just Mercy primarily focuses on the story of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted of murdering a young white woman in rural Alabama. While McMillian, and the evidence, proclaimed his innocence from the start, both were blatantly ignored throughout a trial that lasted a mere few days and ended with a death sentence. Stevenson recounts his efforts to understand McMillian's case and the pitfalls that lead to his bewildering conviction. It's a riveting read that I desperately wanted more of.
The rest of the book focuses on other cases Stevenson represented, each one outlining a glaring flaw in the American justice system. Often, it is the exploitation of the country's most vulnerable: the poor, the mentally ill, homeless children, those whose past traumas prevent a normal and healthy life. Just Mercy examines the historical implications of injustice and the court rulings that cemented these ideals. It shows a glaring pattern of how deep seeded biases won out over basic empathy and mercy in the name of "public safety" time and time again. Stevenson emphasizes this historical doggedness with personal accounts of those who had lived through these trials, and those who didn't. He presents numerous moral issues against capital punishment and mass incarceration that, honestly, I had never thought of. It was an immersive, compelling novel that everyone should read to better understand a major issue facing our country.
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced