A Time to Kill
-John Grisham’s first book and possibly his best book. (It’s his best book. I’m just trying give the appearance of leaving room for differing opinions. It is difficult to believe he struggled to get it published.) While his next book, “The Firm,” was good, it pales in comparison to this novel and is totally different from the formulaic novels he pumped out right after “The Firm.” In this novel set in Clanton, Mississippi, a ten year old black girl is raped by two drunken locals. The father of the girl picks up a rifle and meets out his own justice. Jake Brigance, a young defense attorney, tries to defend the father in a hostile environment and becomes a target of the seething racism and hate that permeates the environment. But this book is more than the sum of its parts. The characters and milieu draw you in. This book is modern literature. You must read this book. Well? What are you waiting for?
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