: The Last Juror
Author: John Grisham
Cool book. The plot’s low-key and takes place across a decade (1970-1980). The point of view is the narrator, a young man who moves to a small town in Mississippi and takes over the town’s newspaper. He learns about the area and covers a sensational murder trial that takes place. In the process he meets a remarkable black woman who has seven children who’ve all grown up and earned PhDs. His weekly lunch with this woman becomes the rock of his life, and it is her story we glimpse through the man’s own, as she becomes a key juror in the murder trial. Unlike most of Grisham’s works, this is a character story, not a plot-driven thriller, and it’s his best novel to date. The story’s a touch slow at times and the ending’s slightly contrived (but still satisfying), but this is not a novel about a story but about a place and time and people: just let yourself get lost in a different world and enjoy it. Impressive. Show’s Grisham’s depth and growth as a writer.
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