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| Image: Penguin Random House |
Just Mercy: a true story of the fight for justice (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stephenson. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 7 hours. Read by the author. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, September, 2018. 9780525635932.
Fact Friday features Just Mercy: a true story of the fight for justice by Bryan Stephenson. Stephenson adapted his best-selling memoir for a young adult audience. He was a Harvard Law student who signed on for an internship helping to defend a capital punishment case in Georgia. It was then that he realized that the criminal justice system in the United States was not a fair one - that people of color, the poor, uneducated and the most vulnerable members of society received unjust prison sentences and were often wrongly accused. Upon graduation from Harvard, Stephenson founded The Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama rather than pursue a lucrative law practice.
He highlights several notable cases in detail and the reading is compelling, even heartbreaking. This book cogently explains the concept of mass incarceration to a young reader interested in the criminal justice system.
I read this with my ears, which was a good thing since I was frequently moved to tears by the narrative. Stephenson narrates in a measured, thoughtful performance. There's no flash here. He's a humble man with a mission to right as many wrongs as he can.
I was reminded of another book I read with my ears awhile back, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater. In this book, the criminal received a harsh sentence. He did commit an unspeakable act; but his prosecution was strident despite the fact that the victim's family asked for just mercy.
The average middle school student might not gravitate toward a book such as Just Mercy, but I am going to hand-sell it like crazy. It's important. It's eye-opening. We need more people like Bryan Stephenson in the world.
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