#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX • A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. “[Bryan Stevenson’s] dedication to fighting for justice and equality has inspired me and many others and … me and many others and made a lasting impact on our country.”—John Legend
NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction • Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award • Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize • An American Library Association Notable Book
“Every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so . . . a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.”—David Cole, The New York Review of Books
“Searing, moving . . . Bryan Stevenson may, indeed, be America’s Mandela.”—Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times
“You don’t have to read too long to start cheering for this man. . . . The message of this book . . . is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.”—Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review
“Inspiring . . . a work of style, substance and clarity . . . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.”—The Washington Post
“As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.”—The Financial Times
“Brilliant.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Very moving account of lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s work with the Equal Justice Initiative assisting prisoners on death row as well as minors sentenced to life in prison without parole. The book is easy to read and understand while being deeply affecting. Some of the wisdom Stevenson imparts: 1) Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done and 2) We are all implicated when we allow others to be mistreated. We learn of several incarcerated people who were unjustly put on death row or given life sentences, and all were victims of a system that made easy targets of them: people of color, children, and poor people. I found myself dumbfounded by how our legal system works and how difficult it is for prisoners unjustly sentenced to have their sentences reversed when they are innocent. Many of these prisoners must have felt like they were on the cruelest episodes of the Twilight Zone, imprisoned or sentenced to death when they knew they were innocent. I found myself weeping quite a few times. A fantastic read worthy of your time and consideration.
I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars.
Non-fiction. Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. In 2019 CNN named Just Mercy one of the top ten influential books of the decade.
First published in hardcover in 2014, the paperback edition, which came out a year later, spent 230 weeks on the bestseller list. It still pops up every now and then. Stevenson is a Black Harvard educated lawyer who moved to Alabama in the late 1980’s. He defends—largely pro-bono—those wrongly accused of a crime, or who are victims of draconian sentences. He was in high demand.
If you think you can imagine the inequity and corruption he encounters, you cannot. This book is both uplifting and depressing—equally as hard to pick up as it is to put down. Not because of the writing, but because of the pain he encounters. The roadblocks to justice. The ruined lives. The intentional mockery of the law perpetuated by elected officials. Stevenson takes the upper road, rarely shows anger, and relentlessly advocates for his clients. A class man. A class book.
Gives a disturbing insight into how unjust our justice; system is
Must Read
I did not like it
What a powerful book that everyone should read? Its a must. What Bryan Stevenson did for these black men on death row is so admirable and heartbreaking. Reading into the details of these men and women being convicted and sentenced to death made me sick. The justice Bryan fought so hard for his clients and the justice system that worked against them is one that we must not be blind to. There are things I even learned that blew my mind and saddened my heart.
It took me wayy to long to read this book, but it was so worth it and I am forever changed after reading it. I can’t say enough about this book that other readers have not. The justice that was fought for and the redemption of the people he helped and cases he looked into truly connects you with the hardships by those faced with incarceration.
Such an eye-opening book. The reason I gave it four stars was because I found it a bit difficult to read. It goes back and fourth between different times in Stevenson’s life, so sometimes it was hard for me to follow. Knowing that, you’ll find it easier to read, and will enjoy it because it’s a fantastic read.
Best book ever non fiction
I thought Stevenson did a great job of helping the reader see the systemic issues with the justice system and supporting his perspectives with factual evidence to tell some very powerful and poignant stories of real people.
Excellent
Real law stories of rescue from death row and of children condemned to their whole lives in prison. Clearly explains the legal causes for these sentences, and the effect they have on the prisoners’ families and community. Also clearly delineates some corrupt underlying causes of the prejudiced outcomes in some trials. Not a law book, but rather humane and informative.
An eye opening view about our judicial system.
This was a very interesting book. I throughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this book. It was eye opening to see it from their eyes and how the system is wrong sometimes.
I never knew how recently the law in the South was so prejudiced. My heart breaks for the people, mostly black, who were sent to the electric chair while innocent. The lawyer who fought the system is inspirational. He continued where many of us would have given up.
This is a transformative book.
Such an important story of how one man found his true passion in the world, and against all odds, changes the lives of many people.
So interesting, inspirational and sobering!
An important read for anyone interested in, and passionate for the “Black Lives Matter” movement!
Eye opening! Makes me so angry that people can be treated this way!!
Every American should read this book. We need to have an honest discussion about race and justice in this country.