A Time to Stand
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A highly relevant and gripping novel that challenges us to ask what it means to forgive while seeking justice and to pursue reconciliation while loving others as ourselves.
Adisa Johnson is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.
Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.
Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable as a young black woman—defend the officer.
As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.
In a small Georgia town where racial tensions run high and lives are at stake, can one lawyer stand up for justice against the tides of prejudice?
A stand-alone legal dramaBook length: approximately 120,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Adisa Johnson, an African-American lawyer, visits hometown Campbellton, Ga., after her aunt suffers a stroke, she doesn't expect to stay for long. However, after being fired from her law firm, she begins exploring job opportunities in the area. When she hears that a young African-American boy is in a coma after being shot by a white police officer, her initial reaction is sympathy, though she has no desire to get involved. But then a twist will lead her to the trial in the least expected way: as defense attorney for the police officer. Adisa is a selfless protagonist conflicted about representing the officer but dedicated to her principles. The policeman, Luke Nelson, spends a lot of time insisting on his innocence and very little time expressing remorse for almost ending an innocent boy's life, making it difficult to empathize with him. Whitlow (A House Divided) gives a powerful message about the need for people of all colors and backgrounds to come together in times of trouble, but he raises questions about racism and human nature that are never fully explored.
