A Lesson Before Dying
This National Book Critics Circle Award winner follows the real-life story of the friendship formed between a disheartened schoolteacher and a Black man falsely accused of murder in Jim Crow era Louisiana. Based on Ernest J. Gaines' National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel, A Lesson...
- Pages
- 256
- First published
- 1993
- Language
- English
- Edition
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Shelved by 1 Litcadian
Reviews
Finished November 4, 2024
This is such a special book. For its length, it’s incredibly heavy, both in content and impact - a heartbreaking story that I couldn't help but devour. I finished it in one sitting, utterly captivated, even though I knew it would leave me shattered. The story follows Jefferson, a man condemned to death, and Grant Wiggins, a teacher who is asked to help him die with dignity. The ending completely wrecked me. Jefferson’s growth and courage had me in tears, and his journal was devastating. At the same time, I felt such pride in both him and Grant. If I could ask for more, it would be a bit more direct interaction between the two of them; so much of their connection is alluded to, and I would have liked to see more of it unfold on paper. This is the kind of book that stays with you. I don’t think I’ll recover anytime soon.