#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 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
Just Mercy is one of my favorite books of 2020 so far, and I believe it's a book that everyone needs to read. It's incredibly powerful and deeply moving, not to mention an eye-opening look at the U.S. prison system, racism, and capital punishment.
Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer working out of Alabama and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, recounts some of the many cases he's worked on over the years, focusing on the inhumane treatment of prisoners and of juveniles sent to adult prisons, but mainly on those wrongfully accused and sentenced.
He talks about several people he's helped over the years, but most of the story line follows the case of Walter McMillian, a man who was wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death row.
Before reading this book, I didn't realize just how many people are still wrongfully sentenced to prison or death, especially people of color. It's a horrifying realization, and if Mr. Stevenson's goal in writing this book was to make people aware of the problem, he succeeded.
This could have been a dull book full of dry statistics, but Mr. Stevenson's passion for his work comes through on every page, and it was utterly riveting. I didn't want to put it down.
At times heartbreaking, Just Mercy is ultimately inspiring. The work that Mr. Stevenson has done is incredible, and it's clear that he hasn't given up despite the many obstacles in his way.
I feel like this quote from Mr. Stevenson himself sums up the reason he works so hard for those unable to help themselves: "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done."
I cannot recommend this one enough, and as I said earlier, it's a book that everyone needs to read.
