Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

I think it should be a “must-read” for everyone to help understand that the justice system is not equal for everyone and circumstances are different in different parts of the U.S.A. It’s the true story of a lawyer who works for a social justice type institute that takes on cases of people on death roll who were wrongly convicted, children, sentenced to life in maximum security prisons without possibilities of parole, and other people convicted after an unjust trial where evidence is withheld.  Some they win, and some they don’t.

Review by Carol Anderson

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Although this book is a work of fiction, I think it is a “must” read to help people understand the plight of migrants. This read could be followed by Paul Theroux’s travelogue On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey to better understand conditions in Mexico and why people are so desperate to leave.

Review by Michele Smith