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A review by knitter22
The Final Case by David Guterson
4.0
All I knew about The Final Case when I requested it from the library was that it was a legal drama and I remembered loving Snow Falling on Cedars. That was enough because I'm fairly sure that this book will be among the best books I read this year. I say that with some confidence even though it's only January because it's so much more - more than a legal drama, more than a story about an adopted Ethiopian child, and more than a story about what we do for work, leading a meaningful life, religion, justice, and the bonds between parents and children.
The book is narrated by the son of Royal, an 83-year-old defense attorney who is still practicing. Royal has had a small accident with his car, so he has asked his son to drive him to the courthouse and help with the investigation for a trial. Royal has agreed to represent Betsy Harvey, a white, fundamentalist Christian woman with seven children who has been charged along with her husband in the death of Abeba Temesgin, a sixth-grade girl they adopted from Ethiopia.
In an interview, Guterson said, "The reality of life isn’t consistent with fictional conventions, with plot points and a finite story. Life meanders. But I didn’t set out to meander. It’s just that the plot of the novel might take a little work to discover because it’s not necessarily on the surface." The fact that the plot wasn't on the surface is exactly what made me enjoy and appreciate the book as much as I did. Another reviewer spoke about trusting the author, and sticking with the book even when you're not sure of the journey. The Final Case is a book with ample rewards for the reader if they trust David Guterson.
The book is narrated by the son of Royal, an 83-year-old defense attorney who is still practicing. Royal has had a small accident with his car, so he has asked his son to drive him to the courthouse and help with the investigation for a trial. Royal has agreed to represent Betsy Harvey, a white, fundamentalist Christian woman with seven children who has been charged along with her husband in the death of Abeba Temesgin, a sixth-grade girl they adopted from Ethiopia.
In an interview, Guterson said, "The reality of life isn’t consistent with fictional conventions, with plot points and a finite story. Life meanders. But I didn’t set out to meander. It’s just that the plot of the novel might take a little work to discover because it’s not necessarily on the surface." The fact that the plot wasn't on the surface is exactly what made me enjoy and appreciate the book as much as I did. Another reviewer spoke about trusting the author, and sticking with the book even when you're not sure of the journey. The Final Case is a book with ample rewards for the reader if they trust David Guterson.
"To tell you the truth, a lot of things in my work are sad. It's sort of a sad world to have to move around in."