A couple of weeks ago, while driving somewhere, I heard on the
radio that Ernest J.
Gaines died. Hearing his name immediately called to mind A
Lesson Before Dying, a novel I have read and re-read.
Most of what I write about relates to the American West. I make an
exception here because this book is an exception—in that it is better, much
better, than most of the books ever written in the world.
It tells the story of a man accused, tried, and convicted of
murder, and sentenced to die for a crime in which he played no part, other than
being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The man is poor and uneducated, and
the attorney assigned to defend him did so on the basis that the defendant’s
ignorance and mental capacity made him little more than an animal.
Well, two old women are not having it. They want him to die like a
man, not an animal. So, they convince an unwilling school teacher to visit the
prison and educate the condemned man. The two men become friends, more than
friends, and strengthen one another as execution day draws ever nearer.
A Lesson Before Dying is a gripping, heart-wrenching book more than worthy of the
acclaim and awards it earned the author. It will haunt you for years. At least it
has me.
Rod, we have a few things in common, and this book is one of them. I read it when we lived in Louisiana years ago, and wrote Mr. Gaines a letter of appreciation. I never heard from him, but it didn't matter. I just wanted him to know how I felt about his book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carla. It is certainly a good one.
DeleteI'm not sure I need another story to haunt me at this point, Rod, but I will add this book to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteYou'll enjoy it, Tanja--if enjoy is the right word.
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