I never read ‘A Time to Kill’. It was published around the time I had at least one little girl at home and the beginning of the book made me quite ill. I rarely start and book without finishing it – so that one stands out in my mind. I never saw the movie either. The injustice of racial bias makes me feel quite useless – regardless of where it is coming from. I understand that slavery began way before us Brits made use of it. The Egyptians built pyramids using slaves. Thankfully throughout history there have been people who have literally risked their lives to try to end these practices. Anyway, Sycamore Row is kind of a sequel to A Time to Kill. The lawyer is the same character so many of you will remember him. I know that the film had Matthew ‘McLook at me’ (our pet name for him) – who is lovely and so I sort of had him in mind whilst reading this. As per usual Grisham’s writing lets you jump straight into the story and this one will not disappoint.
The beginning of the book tells the sequence of events that has a man taking his own life. A couple of days later, Jake, the lawyer, receives a letter from the deceased that includes a will. The most recent will changes all the details from his last will and craziness ensues. Enter in a whole cast of characters including family members of the deceased, a housekeeper and her family, members of the small town they all live in including the sheriff and other attorneys. As you can imagine there is money at stake and everyone wants a piece of the inheritance. This is another of Grisham’s books you won’t want to put down and it moves very quickly and succinctly. As more and more evidence comes to light the idea of what we do with our worldly possessions being our decision comes up again and again. The end of this story was so sad and yet there was some closure. They should definitely make a movie of this one and this time I will see it.