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The Author's Favorite Authors
Two of my all-time favorite writers are John Grisham and Ann Rule. I love Grisham's courtroom drama and
Rule's knack for taking us inside spectacular cases of murder and intrigue. Imagine my pleasure and
surprise when Grisham published his first true-crime story!
The Innocent Man, Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, is a chilling page-turner. This is one of those
books that keeps you up reading into the wee hours and shaking your head at the abject absurdity of it
all. This is the story of Ron Williamson, a man who was a rascal, of sorts, but in a nice way. He drank a
little too much, had a little too much fun with the ladies and was, for sure, a person whose mental illness
reared its ugly head early on. When he and his friend, Dennis Scott, are arrested for a particularly
heinous murder in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, a travesty of justice is set in motion the likes of
which will blow your mind. This story has it all, crooked cops, idiot prosecutor, inept counsel and lethargic
judge. These men were clearly and deliberately framed for a rape and murder that they never committed,
while the actual predator, a man by the name of Glen Gore, went about his life for nearly twenty years.
Sitting on death row, Williamson spirals into madness and Grisham easily takes the reader into places we
have never been before. The convicts were finally exonerated by DNA evidence which was not available at
the time of the trial, and still the prosecutor prosecuted what were now clearly innocent people. His thirst
for innocent blood kept these men locked away much longer than was necessary, compounding the insult and
bringing shame upon the entire criminal justice system. Barry Sheck and The Innocence project ride in like
knights on white horses to save Williamson just five days before his scheduled execution, but they are still
too late to stop his death, a result of years of abuse and neglect. The horror of this book is that this
could happen to any one of us or someone we know. Can you imagine what it would be like to live on death
row and know you are scheduled to die for a crime you didn't commit? Well you don't have to. This is a
must read for every American.
My favorite book this month is "The Good Good Pig, the Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood" by Sy
Montgomery. This book was recommended to me by one of my writing students and what a wonderful
recommendation it was!
Christopher Hogwood was a most extraordinary pig with a most extraordinary life. When a friend of the
author pronounced that Chris was "successful", the author found the use of that term at once unusual (as
it applied to a pig) and absolutely perfect. I agree. Christopher was a very successful pig and he brought
joy and laughter and wonder to the lives of all who had the honor and pleasure of meeting him. When
Montgomery describes the daily feeding ritual, a process she describes as "The running of the pig", I felt
the exhilaration and determination of this sweet pig who found great treasures in the leavings of others.
Christopher was a vegetarian pig, and was kind towards "the Ladies"-a group of hens who kept Christopher
company. Montgomery's descriptions of her beloved canine, Tess, as well as all the animals she met on her
journeys to the Amazon and beyond were truly awe-inspiring.
This is a good, good read.
My favorite books this month are My Sisters Keeper, by Jodie Picoult;
and Enslaved By Ducks, by Bob Tarte.
First, My Sister's Keeper
This is an engaging novel that makes the reader really think about ethics and familial love. In this
bittersweet tale, a young girl comes to terms with the fact that her existence on this planet is the result
of a need for a live organ donor for her chronically-ill sister. She loves her sister dearly but refuses to go
through one more medical procedure to save her. Hasn't she been through enough? Is it right to give birth
to a human being for the sole purpose of having a body-part donor to keep another alive? Our heroine
hires a lawyer who becomes embroiled in this complicated medical/legal drama.
Enslaved by Ducks
This book is a riot! It is the funniest book I have read since Marley and Me and for those who read about
Marley, they will appreciate that this is "Marley and Me" but with ducks, geese, parrots, rabbits,
turkeys, starlings and cats. The writer, a reporter for BEAT Magazine, has never really been much of an
animal lover. His wife innocently requests a pet, a baby bunny, and it's all pretty much downhill from
there. I recommend this book for anyone who is considering adding a parrot to their household. You will
never look at turkeys the same way. Mr. Tarte writes comedy. He must be a comedy writer because this
stuff is hilarious.