A review by richellegoodrich
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

5.0

A well-written account of a young, black man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though innocent, he is accused, found guilty, and sentenced to death. This story is edifying in numerous ways. It communicates the sense of helplessness and yet an ember of hopefulness shared by one black community—a struggling, tight neighborhood whose youth feel trapped, generation after generation, kept from higher opportunities because of skin color, social stereotypes, and ties to family who depend upon their work and wages. When the sentenced is compared to a hog by those in the judicial system, his Nannan clings to one hope, to have the only black teacher in their community help her boy understand his inherent worth, that he might walk with his head held high like a man, not a hog, to his death. The way he and others come to deal with this injustice becomes a lesson in living for every man and woman in observance—both black and white.