In 1940s Louisiana, Jefferson, a young Black man, is wrongly convicted of murder after being present during a store robbery, and his lawyer compares him to a hog to save him. His godmother, Miss Emma, asks Grant Wiggins, the local schoolteacher, to visit Jefferson in jail and help him die as a man. Grant, who is cynical and thinks about leaving the South, resists but finally starts visiting. The relationship changes them both, and a notebook becomes a means for Jefferson to find his dignity before his execution.
A good match for readers who care about American racial history and about dignity under injustice. It is often read in schools, and suits anyone who wants a quiet, moving story.
Inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1993
- Language
- EN
