The Last Juror by John Grisham

I recently read The Last Juror, by John Grisham. It's a good read, hardly a surprise, considering the author. I won't give away much of the plot -- see the first link in this post, which is to the Wikipedia article on the book, if you want more information on that.

Let me muse about two aspects of the novel.

The protagonist, Willie Traynor, is white, and not a Christian. The most important relationship he develops, upon purchasing the local newspaper in a small Mississippi town, is with Callie Ruffin, a black woman who is old enough to be his mother. Traynor works toward integrating his adopted town. (The book is set in the 1970s.) Indirectly, he makes it possible for Mrs. Ruffin to become the first black juror in a trial with a white defendant in the county.

It is clear that Mrs. Ruffin is a serious Christian -- she believes in sin, salvation, and redemption through belief in Christ's power. Although Traynor never becomes a believer himself, the book is sympathetic to evangelical Christianity. Mrs. Ruffin, and the churches of Traynor's fictional town, are presented in a positive light. For example, she prays, and believes that her prayers are heard.

Thanks for reading. Grisham is worth reading, and entertaining, as well.