This September, we want you to join us as we read “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson together as a “Community Read.”
In a time when things are feeling very “distanced,” we hope this Community Read helps to broaden and deepen an appreciation of reading and compel friends, families and neighbors to share their experience while reading the same book. The project is further intended to engage the community in dialogue and seeks to bring the community together by promoting equality and understanding.
While the book and questions are geared for adults, selections will be made available for all ages.
Here is how it works:
Borrow the book “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson and read along with us! The book is available in traditional format (pick up in the Library or through Curbside Service) and in ebook/eaudiobook on both Ohio Digital Library and cloudLibrary. You can put the book on hold now through MidPointe’s eCatalog.
Jump in to virtual discussions online via MidPointe’s social media (Facebook and Twitter) and blog (www.MidPointeLibraryBlog.org) by responding in the comments to the questions we post. We will be sharing several questions a week but encourage you to add questions of your own for other patrons to react to and discuss.
Throughout the month of September, we will also be sharing read-a-likes, related programming and resources for children to help talk about equality with all ages.
About the book:
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
“Just Mercy” is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
About the author:
Bryan Stevenson is a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned.
