5 stars out of 5
Let me explain. This story takes place in the Deep South – super small town Union Springs, Alabama, in fact. Mary Stone, a Black judge – elected by voters – presides over the local county court, and there’s a trial with more than a hint of To Kill a Mockingbird flavor. Bottom line, then, is that it’s almost a given that the defendant won’t be the only victim in this case. Add the fact that it relates to a woman’s right to control her own body (Alabama, the story notes, has the “toughest abortion law in the country”), and I know from the outset that my own emotions will run strong.
No time is wasted triggering them as 13-year-old Nova Jones is brought to the local doctor’s office during off hours by her school nurse. The girl is pregnant, in pain and showing other symptoms of severe distress that could threaten her life. She begs both women to not tell her mother, who would be, let’s say, less than sympathetic. The doctor, Bria Gaines, sees no other choice than to perform a medical abortion – but given the legal consequences, no one is supposed to know about it.
But luck isn’t in Nova or Bria’s corner; soon thereafter, the first-year teenager develops serious complications from the procedure – not uncommon in girls that young – sending her to the hospital, where doctors learn she’d had an abortion and are obligated to pass that information on to the proper authorities.
Well, surprise – the case lands in front of Judge Stone, who’s got a reputation for following the law, fairness and not putting up with BS from attorneys on either side. For reasons readers will learn, though, this trial will test those qualities to their limits (and then some) as well as turn the whole town on its head and put lives at stake. In short, it’s a don’t-miss story, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy. Outstanding!
Judge
Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson (Little, Brown and Co., March 2026);
425 pp.
No comments:
Post a Comment