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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A graphic child rape depicted early in the novel; the killings; Klan violence; bombing
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
The brutal rape of a child is depicted in some detail at the novel's opening
Substance Use
None
No significant substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Explores racial injustice, vigilante justice, and the moral weight of taking a life in vengeance
What this book is about
When two men brutally rape and nearly kill ten-year-old Tonya Hailey in rural Mississippi, her father Carl Lee Hailey shoots them dead. Jake Brigance must defend Carl Lee in a racially charged trial that tears the town apart. Grisham's debut novel is his most morally complex — a legal thriller that asks whether there can be justice after such a crime.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic child rape at the novel's opening
Racial violence and KKK activity
Vigilante killing and its moral implications
Reader Verification
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