Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Nonfiction

You’ll feel both angry and hopeful after reading this clear and concise narrative about the American legal system. Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and MacArthur Grant recipient Stevenson has been called “America’s young Nelson Mandela” by Bishop Desmond Tutu. His memoir is a searing indictment of the American justice system, and an inspiring story of one man's battle to right the wrongs embedded in the system. Stevenson tells his story the way a good lawyer builds his case, layering intensive research with pointed facts, bringing in points of law as well as details that pull on the heart. His work as an activist lawyer has spanned more than 30 years, and he describes this work defending “hopeless cases,” freeing people from excessive punishment or wrongful convictions. The overarching narrative is the story of Walter MacMillan, an African-American man on death row for killing a white woman despite credible evidence to the contrary, but numerous other cases are covered.

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