The Appeal

by John Grisham

“Politics has always been a dirty game. Now justice is, too.” And so in two sentences the new book of writer John Grisham is summed up. Many of you have read the many Grisham books; however, I found this not only to be a fascinating read, but also a shocking and frustrating subject. It is a powerful story of political and legal suspense, and one that will leave you “unable to think about the electoral process or judicial system in quite the same way ever again.”

In a small backwater Mississippi town, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into the small town’s water supply. This has caused the worst ‘cancer cluster’ in history. The chemical company then appeals their lost verdict to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which will either approve the verdict or reverse it. How will they vote?

The owner of the chemical company, Carl Trudeau, is not about to lose this fight and be the laughingstock of Wall Street. He decides to buy himself a seat on the Court. The heart of the book is the web of deceit, fraud, and money that accomplishes Trudeau’s manipulative and malicious scheme.

Through the story we meet the “purchased candidate” who is unknowingly bought as he is financed, marketed and molded into a potential Supreme Court Justice. We also meet the myriads of people who have been affected by toxicity of the chemical dump and their attorneys who have sacrificed everything to help their clients. The small and insignificant face the world of corporate and money.

Though this book is fiction, it leaves the reader with questions concerning our judicial system: the election of judges, lobbying, money, and political favors. Maybe the book will awaken us to the behind-the-scenes political world and what we as citizens need to do to “part that curtain.” Read and ask yourself the hard questions!! This is a book that longs to be discussed long and loud!!

(by Anne Frame, Guest Columnist)