Just Mercy

A Story of Justice and Redemption

By: Bryan Stevenson

Narrated by: Bryan Stevenson

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX

A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.

“[Bryan Stevenson’s] dedication to fighting for justice and equality has inspired me and many others and made a lasting impact on our country.”—John Legend

NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time

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.

Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction • Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award • Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize • An American Library Association Notable Book

©2014 Bryan Stevenson (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Just Mercy is every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so. . . . [It] demonstrates, as powerfully as any book on criminal justice that I’ve ever read, the extent to which brutality, unfairness, and racial bias continue to infect criminal law in the United States. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. . . . Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.”—David Cole, The New York Review of Books

“A searing, moving and infuriating memoir . . . Bryan Stevenson may, indeed, be America’s Mandela. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. . . . Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. We need to wake up. And that is why we need a Mandela in this country.”—Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

“Unfairness in the justice system is a major theme of our age. . . . This book brings new life to the story by placing it in two affecting contexts: [Bryan] Stevenson’s life work and the deep strain of racial injustice in American life. . . . You don’t have to read too long to start cheering for this man. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. . . . The book extols not his nobility but that of the cause, and reads like a call to action for all that remains to be done. . . . The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful. . . . Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.”—Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review

A Must Read

Bryan Stevenson and those that work at EJI are true American heroes. This well written and fascinating narrative is an eye opener for anyone who knows little about racial injustice in this country, and the mass incarceration of poor black citizens that continues. Heart breaking and hopeful.

A most worthy reading!

About perseverance; about other cruel layers of poverty; about sacrifice; about forgiveness; about humanity at it's weakest and the potential of it's strength; about fear.

Listen to this book and become a kinder, more compassionate, and more thoughtful human being

"The question of capital punishment isn't 'Does this person deserve to die?' it is 'Do we deserve to kill?'"
Stevenson's work presents a wonderfully told, yet sobering, view of the American criminal justice system. Narrated by Stevenson himself, Just Mercy hits you with compelling story after compelling story of the human beings who are denied any semblance of justice after the moment they are accused of committing a crime. While there are uplifting moments in his stories where justice triumphs in a case he is working on, Stevenson leaves the listener with the uncomfortable question of 'how many other wrongfully convicted or unfairly sentenced people are sitting in American prisons right now?' Are these prisoners suffering this punishment because it is just, or are they suffering because our society has become complacent with a criminal justice system that is truly broken? Listen to Just Mercy and see for yourself.

An amazing book!

Bryan Stevenson wrote an amazing book - compelling, from beginning to end. My heart broke again and again as he detailed the heinous treatment and injustices of our so-called ‘justice’ system. This was a hard book to read because of the atrocities detailed, but I am so glad it was written. I hope it will shine a light and bring some much needed improvements into that very battered and torn system. God bless Bryan Stevenson and all his associates for the very noble work they are doing!

Time for change

As a white man who grew up predominantly white town I have been naïve to how broken our criminal justice system is. This book has opened my eyes and educated me at a time when we all should be educating ourselves. We are all people with different backgrounds who need to show empathy and support to others from different backgrounds. This book changed my life and I’m going to recommend it to everyone I know. Bryan Stevenson if you read this just know that I love you and everything you stand for.✌🏼❤️
-Chris

A must read for everyone

Everyone deserves mercy. In this climate of hate and anger, the book pulls on our heart to choose love vs hate. Bryan and EJI, thank you for your hard work.

Incredible book

Such a great book written by a man doing great work. I want to take several friends to see this movie when it comes out.

Fantastic and educational

Bryan Stevenson’s incredible dedication to seeking justice for those most vulnerable in our society is inspiring. In this book he details not only his remarkable career and the stories of his clients, but also astonishing and heartbreaking facts about the injustices of our legal system. This was eye opening for me and I am determined to learn more and work towards making a difference in this country about this issue. I am grateful to have read it and to have been able to educate myself about issues I knew very little about. I highly recommend this book.

How one person can change the world...

Just Mercy is enlightening and honors the individuals who have faced injustice, brutality, and ugliness. I have a new perspective about the hell, yet brotherhood, of death row. I have always believed that people are more than their worst mistake, and Bryan Stevenson empathetically illustrates this.

must read

incredible narrative of injustice embedded in the criminal justice system. this book is moving, terrifying and inspirational all the same time. everyone should read this book.