In The Appeal John Grisham tells a powerful story built around the election of a judge in Mississippi. Rich and powerful people with an agenda pour money into electing a judge who will give them the decisions they want. A good part of the money comes from a man whose chemical company has dumped toxic waste and polluted a town's drinking waste. Many people in the community have cancer or have lost family members to cancer. A lower court gives the victims a huge settlement and the case is on its way to the Supreme Court. The chemical company owner Carl Trudeau pours millions of dollars into the election of a new judge.
I came to care about the characters more than I would normally in a piece of fiction. I was rooting for those impacted by the dumping of toxic waste to win their law suite. I wanted the lawyers who had sacrificed so very much to be vindicated. The story felt very real to me.
I did not like the ending of this book, but then again I don't always like reality. My preferred ending, the one where the little guy wins, rarely happens in the real world.
As a person of faith I appreciate that John Grisham treats people of faith with respect - he does not turn them into hypocrites as many writers seem too, but he does point out that with a few key phrases and promises they can be manipulated into supporting politicians who do more harm than good. Christians sometimes end up supporting politicians whose leadership is diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Jesus who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and cared passionately about the poor because said politician seems to stand for "family values."
Thank you John Grisham for having the courage to tell this story. It is not a story that will make all your readers and fans happy. I honor you for being brave.
I came to care about the characters more than I would normally in a piece of fiction. I was rooting for those impacted by the dumping of toxic waste to win their law suite. I wanted the lawyers who had sacrificed so very much to be vindicated. The story felt very real to me.
I did not like the ending of this book, but then again I don't always like reality. My preferred ending, the one where the little guy wins, rarely happens in the real world.
As a person of faith I appreciate that John Grisham treats people of faith with respect - he does not turn them into hypocrites as many writers seem too, but he does point out that with a few key phrases and promises they can be manipulated into supporting politicians who do more harm than good. Christians sometimes end up supporting politicians whose leadership is diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Jesus who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and cared passionately about the poor because said politician seems to stand for "family values."
Thank you John Grisham for having the courage to tell this story. It is not a story that will make all your readers and fans happy. I honor you for being brave.
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