Book club discussion guide, just mercy dorothy van soest. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. The subtitle of this book is a story of justice and. Just mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyers coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring. I want to thank everyone who joined us for the book club. It will come as no surprise to those who have heard stevenson speak or. They are relatively brief, but can serve to be an excellent refresher of just mercy bryan stevenson for either a student or teacher. How do we see the author getting close to issues of punishment and mass incarceration throughout the book. Each of us is more than the worst thing weve ever done. North louisiana invites any and all in the community to join community reads, a book club led by cfnla. These are just some of the questions confronting the characters in mercy, which follows the path of two cousins driven to extremes by the power of love. Just mercy questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on just mercy. Just mercy a story of justice and redemption book club kit.
What are your initial responses to just mercy by bryan stevenson. Jan 19, 2017 the monthly in the loop book club meets saturday, february 4 at harold washington library center to discuss just mercy by bryan stevenson. Just mercy is every bit as moving as to kill a mockingbird, and in some ways more so. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Las vegas nonfiction book club discussion questions.
Just mercy by dorothy van soest reading guidebook club. I would be surprised if anyone who reads the first 20 pages of mercy could put it aside again. Hungry for good books just mercy by bryan stevenson. Just mercy inspires meaningful visit to montgomery by. Say, stevenson calls his book just mercy and invites us to consider both justice and mercy in regard to the u. This summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the book. In chapter one, the murderer presses the sharp point of the knife into the tip of each of her fingers. Just mercy book club kit arapahoe libraries bibliocommons. Just mercy summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. It demonstrates, as powerfully as any book on criminal justice that ive ever read, the extent to which brutality, unfairness, and racial bias continue to infect criminal law in the united states. The monthly in the loop book club meets saturday, february 4 at harold washington library center to discuss just mercy by bryan.
A story of justice and redemption by bryan stevenson. This 41page guide for just mercy by bryan stevenson includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 14 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Feb 06, 2017 most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. A mercy by toni morrison book club discussion questions. Just mercy, won the 2015 carnegie medal for best nonfiction, the dayton literary peace prize, and the naacp image award for best nonfiction. The monthly in the loop book club meets saturday, february 4 at harold washington library center to discuss just mercy by bryan stevenson. Book discussion questions for just mercy, by bryan stevenson. Stevenson remembers his grandmother telling him throughout his childhood, you cant understand most of the important things from a distance, bryan. Just mercy by bryan stevenson the notorious murder case of walter mcmillian drew bryan stevenson into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanshipand transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. This is the real thing, a novel about plausible people and important ideas told with riveting cinematic clarity. Most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. Joe martin, real change newspaper just mercy is a moving, fastpaced read that artfully sweeps us up in the journey of forgiveness leslie neale, director, producer, unlikely friends. Just mercy is a powerful and thoughtprovoking recently released movie based on the book by the same name written by bryan stevenson. Twentyeight people showed up in the chicago suburbs in february and our.
The storys edge, and the economy with which jodi picoult hones it, positively gleam. Book discussion questions for just mercy, by bryan. Community foundation of north louisiana invites any and all in the community to join community reads, a book club led by cfnla. Powerful stories inspire the african american authors book discussion group at stratton library to seek enriching experiences about what they explore together. Discuss its possible different meanings and why you think the author selected this title. Is there anything about which you think or feel differently as a result of reading just mercy. A story of justice and redemption by bryan stevenson this is the true tale of an african american lawyer in the south fighting for the rights of death row inmates who were unjustly incarcerated. A story of justice and redemption by bryan stevenson when i shared this book on instagram, so many people responded telling me that their book clubs had read this title and had amazing discussions. Just mercy opens with bryan stevenson going to visit henry, his first death row prisoner.
Desmond tutu calls stevenson americas young nelson mandela and john grisham compares him to a living atticus finch. A story of justice and redemption, by bryan stevenson, and the discussion promises to be thoughtful. Bryan stevenson was a gifted young attorney when he founded the equal justice. Official just mercy website, including detailed discussion guide and opportunities to get involved walter mcmillian feature on 60 minutes bryan stevenson ted talk. Just mercy topic of discussion group midland daily news. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Has your idea about justice changed since reading the book. Book club reading guides 201920 cooperative baptist. The following list of standards correlates to the discussion questions as a whole whereas, for each of the activities, the relevant and specific standards are indicated for each of the exercises. Bryan stevenson just mercy is a powerful true story. You dont have to read too long to start cheering for this man. Its all about the american justice system, especially how the racial bias in it. What is the significance of the novels title, just mercy.
And remember to check out our other book resources. Think back to your opinions before you began to read stevensons book. Bryan explains how he became passionate about criminal defense law and defending death row prisoners after an internship with the southern center for human rights in the deep south. Here are the notes from the handouts and the list of questions i used to guide the discussion.
From one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time comes an unforgettable true story about the redeeming potential of mercy. A powerful true story about the equal justice initiative, the people we represent, and the importance of confronting injustice, just mercy is a bestselling book by bryan stevenson that has been adapted into a feature film. Jordan and jamie foxx a powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justicefrom one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Mount prospect public library book discussion questions. Though the book contains profiles of many different people, the. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book.
Just mercy discussion questions think back to your opinions. What questions do you still have, and how might you find the answers. Just mercy is bryan stevensons account of his decadeslong career as a legal advocate for marginalized people who have been either falsely convicted or harshly sentenced. This is a list of authors, books, and concepts mentioned in just mercy. How do you see poverty affecting peoples lives in just mercy. Eji is a private, nonprofit that provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system. The paperback of the just mercy movie tiein edition. This is a very flexible guide for a book club to use as a spring board for discussing the book just mercy. Reflections, questions and resources from just mercy book discussion.
Just mercy discussion questions think back to your. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. It will come as no surprise to those who have heard stevenson speak or perused any of his briefs that. Isabel wilkerson, author of the warmth of other suns bryan stevenson is available for campus talks and appearances. Just mercy, by bryan stevenson this amazing book about the authors work with death row inmates, particularly in the deep south, is both inspiring and depressing. Did reading just mercy change your opinion about whether or not the united states has. Book club reading guides 201920 cooperative baptist fellowship.
We are so grateful to our guests claudia and sawny who were members of our book club for this exciting. Bryan explains how he became passionate about criminal defense law and defending death row prisoners after an internship with the southern. Yesterday i coled a discussion of just mercy at my church. Just mercy combines a brisk read with deep themes of justice, forgiveness, the abiding love of family and the sanctity of human life. What famous novel was written in monroe county, al, and how is it relevant to just mercy. Though the book contains profiles of many different people, the central storyline is that of the relationship between. The case drew bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanshipand transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. My notes are informal and often contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts.
Check out tips, advice, and all the ways the library can help support your group. How did this book challenge your beliefs on the following. Far from being a dry discussion of cases or sociological issues, his stories of clients and their problems, and the ingrained racism that permeates the justice system, is highly readable and very compelling. The book of unknown americans f2016 fy reads station eleven f2016 fun home s2017 station eleven f2017 fy reads the good food revolution f2017 the hate u give s2018 lgbtqa book discussion little fires everywhere s2018 just mercy f2018 fy reads lab girl s2019 heads of the colored people f2019 fy reads. Just mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful. The group attended the movie just mercy, which is based on bryan stevensons memoir of the true story of a man wrongly condemned for a murder he did not commit. What examples in the book inform stevensons position on poverty and justice.
We encourage community members to join us as we read about issues like poverty, education, addiction, mental health, blight, and criminal justice reform. What surprised, troubled, or challenged you from the. Stevenson notes in his book that the opposite of poverty is not wealth. Character and object descriptions character and object descriptions provide descriptions of the significant characters as well as objects and places in just mercy bryan stevenson. A story of justice and redemption, by bryan stevenson. Just mercy inspires meaningful visit to montgomery by book. May 20, 2016 president of washington womens foundation criminal justice in america sometimes seems more criminal than just replete with error, malfeasance, racism and cruel, if not unusual, punishment, coupled with stubborn resistance to reform and a failure to learn from even its most glaring mistakes. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. This is my book summary of just mercy by bryan stevenson. Book discussion questions for just mercy, by bryan stevenson just mercy. A story of justice and redemption is a book everyone needs to read. Stevenson discusses how he learned that the american judicial system was.
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