Currently reading "A Time to Kill: A Novel
" the best selling novel that was made into a movie. First of all I must say while the movie was very good the book was even better. The story takes place in Clanton in Ford County Mississippi, while segregation has taken place, but equal rights among blacks has a long way to go.
Carl Lee Hailey, a mill worker, with a wife and 4 kids works hard to take care of his family a good man who minds his own business, his life is forever changed when the innocence of his 10 year old daughter was stolen. Tonya Hailey was walking home from the grocery store when two white men in a pick up truck picked her up raped and beat her repeatedly and than left the young girl for dead. Carl Lee Hailey did what most fathers would want to do he killed the two men in cold blood.
Jake Brigance a young white lawyer decides to take the case, mostly for the fame, but also because he could understand while Carl Lee did what he did, the difference with this case is Carl Lee is black in a racist town, no doubt if the shoe was on the other foot and two black men raped a little white girl and the father sought justice there would be no guilty pleas.
In the beginning of the book we get a somewhat detailed account of what happened to this young girl, how she was beaten, raped, laughed at, and left for dead, and how neither of the men committing the act felt no remorse for what they were doing. Of course they knew what they were doing was wrong, because they tried to cover up there crime, by trying to kill the little girl by hanging her from a tree, when that didn't work they drove around looking for a river to dump her body in.
But the young girl doesn't die and is taken home by a couple of boys who found her while they were fishing near a lake. Carl Lee comes home to find his little girl bleeeding from head to toe, her face barely recognizable, John Grisham did a good job of laying out every detail, I could feel Carl Lee pain as he looked down at his only daughter badly beaten and there was nothing he could do about it.
The two white boys are found bragging about the incident at a local bar, and brought in by the only black sheriff in Clanton, Ozzie Walls while he is confident justice will be served, Carl Lee has other thoughts on his mind, and he makes them known to Jake Brigance a successful white lawyer in Clanton. Carl Lee knows Jake because he also represented is brother Lester in a murder case and won. Carl Lee knowingly ask Jake if he could get him off if he killed the men who hurt his daughter. Jake says yes, and that's where it begins, yes Carl Lee planned out the whole murder, the murder of two white men in Ford County and actually had the balls to carry it through. He knew where he was going to get the gun, and even sneaked into the courthouse several times finding the perfect spot to carry out his plan. This was unheard of during this time, and Grisham gives details as to how everyone feels about what happen, from judges, lawyers and others in the county. I would recommend this book a great read, it will make you laugh, cry, and at times angry. I'm still reading and plan to share my reading with you, I just can't begin to describe how well written this book really is, the characters, setting, plot, all falls into place. Be sure to pick up your copy but even if your not a reader the movie is good too. Pick up your copy of A Time to Kill: A Novel
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