Released 2024.04.16 | Finished 2024.05.27 | borrowed from local library
This was difficult to get past the first chapter, in fact, I set it aside and read another novel before digging into the novel. I had to get into a different frame of mind to go forward. This is a novel that takes place during my youth, a sophomore in college. Having been a reader of classics at the time with glances at the newspaper, the political happenings of the time were marginal in my world. Had I more actively looked at the country from a political or social perspective, I would not now be looking at the setting of the book as a foreigner. I was raised in southern Indiana in a rural setting where racial issues were something that took place over there, i.e., Jefferson County, Kentucky. It was not something that touched me. So going into this book, some of the historical background was familiar but the legal side of Virginia was as unfamiliar as the surface of Mars.
The novel is set in Freeman Co., Virginia in 1968. It is weeks after the murders of Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luthur King, Jr. An elderly, white, affluent couple were brutally killed in their home. The only known person on the property other than the couple was a Black, Vietnam-veteran workman who was found with the bodies of the couple by the police who responded to a dispatch. The anonymous caller had stated that there were murder victims at the location. After handcuffing the non-violent man, one of the policemen beat him with a Billy club.
The prosecution is ready to try within a week giving the defense little time to prepare. Witnesses present themselves like a game of Wack-a-mole which is disturbing when considering the evidence. In the white community, the defendant Jerome Washington has been tried and found guilty before the evidence had been shared in court. A special judge is brought in from retirement, the prosecutor is the state attorney general, and political entities such as George Wallace are perched to get a piece of the action as he is in the running for President of the United States. Wallace’s financial backer, Howard Pickett’s presence is a constant reminder of the importance of the outcome of the trial. Jack Lee is a local white attorney who takes on the case and soon finds himself with a Chicago, civil rights, Black attorney Desiree DuBose.
The 472 page novel is a reminder of a time of unrest in this country for those old enough to have witnessed those times or a fictionalized historical account for younger readers to realize that the events of the present morphed from a troubled history that could have been avoided had measures been taken post-Civil War. The moral of the story, listen to what is said, question beyond the surface, evaluate as Justice with covered eyes but not covered ears.
About the Author
David Baldacci was born on August 5, 1960, in Richmond, Virginia according to his bio on bing.com. He graduated with a political science BA from Virginia Commonwealth followed by a Juris Doctor from University of Virginia. While practicing law, his novel writing career was launched with the publication of Absolute Power in 1996 which became in international hit (and made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood). He has published 46 novels for adults and seven novels for young readers.
His philanthropic interests include Wish You Well Foundation (co-founded with his wife, Michelle), National Multiple Sclerosis Society (since his sister, Sharon Baldacci was diagnosed with it), and Mark Twain House & Museum.
Another Arm Chair Opinion 