★★★★★
As I sat down to write this review, I realized that I may not have fully processed this book enough to reflect my feelings comprehensively and accurately. This is a heartbreaking book which made it difficult at times to read, yet it is so beautifully written that I never wanted to put it down. Bryan Stevenson graduated from Harvard Law School in 1980's and instead of a lucrative career, he decided to move to Alabama, start a nonprofit and fight for those on death row. This was a time not long after the death penalty had be reinstated and states were beginning to rapidly commit executions. Some of those sitting on death row had been sentenced under racist courts that discriminate against the poor who could not afford adequate defense. Stevenson lists several of these cases, one in particular where the evidence against the man so obviously a farce that it is rage inducing. He also discusses mass incarceration and the practice of imprisoning children in adult facilities. Obviously, none of this is light reading material and would be completely devastating if not for the author's many successes in defending these cases and his decision to retain hope in even the most hopeless of situations. I believe this book should be read widely, especially by those who change, impact and uphold the laws. Overall, while I still sit and reflect upon my thoughts after reading this book, I do already know that it has the potential of being a life-changing read. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
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