August Book Club: Just Mercy

A group of seven met [virtually] on Wednesday, August 19, to discuss Bryan Stevenson’s book “Just Mercy” and the movie based on it. We found the book upsetting, sad, engaging but not eloquent, impressive. Its structure, with the central story stretched out and interrupted, was frustrating but also created suspense. We liked the fact that, although it has plenty of statistics, it highlights individuals to whom we can relate. As is usual with movies based on books, the movie omitted many things we would have liked to see, but it made Stevenson more relatable. Our discussion ranged from the focus of the book and movie—the justice system and its racism and inequities—to reparations, anti-racism, and unconscious bias.