Sycamore Row by John Grisham (Epub)

Description

Jake Brigance has never met Seth Hubbard, or even heard of him, until the old man’s suicide note names him attorney for his estate. The will is dynamite. Seth has left ninety per cent of his vast, secret fortune to his housemaid.

The vultures are circling even before the body is cold: the only subject more incendiary than money in Ford County is race, and this case has both.

AS the relatives contest the will, and unscrupulous lawyers hasten to benefit, Jake searches for answers to the many questions left by Seth Hubbard’s death:

What made him write that last-minute will leaving everything to a poor black woman named Lettie Lang?

Why did he choose to kill himself on the desolate piece of land known as Sycamore Row?

And what was it that Seth and his brother witnessed as children that, in his words, ‘no human should ever see’?

User’s Reviews

John Grisham is the author of a collection of stories, a work of nonfiction, three sports novels, four kids’ books, and many legal thrillers. His work has been translated into forty-two languages. He lives near Charlottesville, Virginia. –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Review “Powerful . . . immensely readable . . . the best of his books.”—The Washington Post “One of [Grisham’s] finest . . . Sycamore Row is a true literary event.”—The New York Times Book Review –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Review Praise for the novels of John Grisham “John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we’ve got in the United States these days.” —The New York Times Book Review “John Grisham is exceptionally good at what he does—indeed, right now in this country, nobody does it better.” —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post “Grisham is a marvelous storyteller who works readers the way a good trial lawyer works a jury.” —Philadelphia Inquirer “John Grisham owns the legal thriller.” —The Denver Post “John Grisham is not just popular, he is one of the most popular novelists of our time. He is a craftsman and he writes good stories, engaging characters, and clever plots.” —Seattle Times “A legal literary legend.” —USA Today –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 1They found Seth Hubbard in the general area where he had promised to be, though not exactly in the condition expected. He was at the end of a rope, six feet off the ground and twisting slightly in the wind. A front was moving through and Seth was soaked when they found him, not that it mattered. Someone would point out that there was no mud on his shoes and no tracks below him, so therefore he was probably hanging and dead when the rain began. Why was that important? Ultimately, it was not.The logistics of hanging oneself from a tree are not that simple. Evidently, Seth thought of everything. The rope was three-quarter-inch braided natural Manila, of some age and easily strong enough to handle Seth, who weighed 160 pounds a month earlier at the doctor’s office. Later, an employee in one of Seth’s factories would report that he had seen his boss cut the fifty-foot length from a spool a week before using it in such dramatic fashion. One end was tied firmly to a lower branch of the same tree and secured with a slapdash mix of knots and lashings. But, they held. The other end was looped over a higher branch, two feet in girth and exactly twenty-one feet from the ground. From there it fell about nine feet, culminating in a perfect hangman’s knot, one that Seth had undoubtedly worked on for some time. The noose was straight from the textbook with thirteen coils designed to collapse the loop under pressure. A true hangman’s knot snaps the neck, making death quicker and less painful, and apparently Seth had done his homework. Other than what was obvious, there was no sign of a struggle or suffering. A six-foot stepladder had been kicked aside and was lying benignly nearby. Seth had picked his tree, flung his rope, tied it off, climbed the ladder, adjusted the noose, and, when everything was just right, kicked the ladder and fell. His hands were free and dangling near his pockets.Had there been an instant of doubt, of second-guessing? When his feet left the safety of the ladder, but with his hands still free, had Seth instinctively grabbed the rope above his head and fought desperately until he surrendered? No one would ever know, but it looked doubtful. Later evidence would reveal that Seth had been a man on a mission.For the occasion, he had selected his finest suit, a thick wool blend, dark gray and usually reserved for funerals in cooler weather. He owned only three. A proper hanging has the effect of stretching the body, so Seth’s trouser cuffs stopped at his ankles and his jacket stopped at his waist. His black wing tips were polished and spotless. His blue necktie was perfectly knotted. His white shirt, though, was stained with blood that had oozed from under the rope. Within hours, it would be known that Seth Hubbard had attended the 11:00 a.m. worship service at a nearby church. He had spoken to acquaintances, joked with a deacon, placed an offering in the plate, and seemed in reasonably good spirits. Most folks knew Seth was battling lung cancer, though virtually no one knew the doctors had given him a short time to live. Seth was on several prayer lists at the church. However, he carried the stigma of two divorces and would always be tainted as a true Christian. His suicide would not help matters.The tree was an ancient sycamore Seth and his family had owned for many years. The land around it was thick with hardwoods, valuable timber Seth had mortgaged repeatedly and parlayed into wealth. His father had acquired the land by dubious means back in the 1930s. Both of Seth’s ex-wives had tried valiantly to take the land in the divorce wars, but he held on. They got virtually everything else.First on the scene was Calvin Boggs, a handyman and farm laborer Seth had employed for several years. Early Sunday morning, Calvin had received a call from his boss. “Meet me at the bridge at 2:00 p.m.,” Seth said. He didn’t explain anything and Calvin was not one to ask questions. If Mr. Hubbard said to meet him somewhere at a certain time, then he would be there. At the last minute, Calvin’s ten-year-old boy begged to tag along, and, against his instincts, Calvin said yes. They followed a gravel road that zigzagged for miles through the Hubbard property. As Calvin drove, he was certainly curious about the meeting. He could not remember another occasion when he met his boss anywhere on a Sunday afternoon. He knew his boss was ill and there were rumors he was dying, but, like everything else, Mr. Hubbard kept it quiet. The bridge was nothing more than a wooden platform spanning a nameless, narrow creek choked with kudzu and crawling with cottonmouths. For months, Mr. Hubbard had been planning to replace it with a large concrete culvert, but his bad health had sidetracked him. It was near a clearing where two dilapidated shacks rotted in the brush and overgrowth and offered the only hint that there was once a small settlement there.Parked near the bridge was Mr. Hubbard’s late-model Cadillac, its driver’s door open, along with the trunk. Calvin rolled to a stop behind the car and stared at the open trunk and door and felt the first hint that something might be out of place. The rain was steady now and the wind had picked up, and there was no good reason for Mr. Hubbard to leave his door and trunk open. Calvin told his boy to stay in the truck, then slowly walked around the car without touching it. There was no sign of his boss. Calvin took a deep breath, wiped moisture from his face, and looked at the landscape. Beyond the clearing, maybe a hundred yards away, he saw a body hanging from a tree. He returned to his truck, again told the boy to stay inside and keep the doors locked, but it was too late. The boy was staring at the sycamore in the distance.”Stay here now,” Calvin said sternly. “And don’t get out of the truck.””Yes sir.”Calvin began walking. He took his time as his boots slipped in the mud and his mind tried to stay calm. What was the hurry? The closer he got the clearer things became. The man in the dark suit at the end of the rope was quite dead. Calvin finally recognized him, and he saw the stepladder, and he quickly put the scene and the events in order. Touching nothing, he backed away and returned to his truck. It was October of 1988, and car phones had finally arrived in rural Mississippi. At Mr. Hubbard’s insistence, Calvin had one installed in his truck. He called the Ford County sheriff’s office, gave a brief report, and began waiting. Warmed by the heater and soothed by Merle Haggard on the radio, Calvin gazed through the windshield, ignored the boy, tapped his fingers along with the wipers, and realized he was crying. The boy was afraid to speak. –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Artist John Grisham –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ John Grisham’s original work was outstanding. He then fell off with less than impressive work – almost like he was rushing to meet a deadline. Case in point, The Associate which ended horribly leaving loose ends all over the place (and I’ve successfully forgotten the other failures). But with Sycamore Row, it seems Grisham’s got his mojo back. It holds your attention by not revealing what 8 year old Ancil saw until the very end and the question that’s the elephant in the room all through the book is why Hubbard left all that money to Lettie. About half to 3/4 into the book you start to figure out the why he left it. But not until the end do you realize the significant of why he hung himself. All these things become significant in the end and the book wraps up well. Basically couldn’t put it down and am looking forward to JG’s next novel. Hope it’s not a bust!

⭐ This is a sequel to one of Grisham’s best, “A Time to Kill.” Not necessarily a prerequisite – this books stands just fine on its own. picking up a few years later, lawyer Jake Brigance and his family still haven’t recovered fully from the side-affects of the Hailey trial in the previous book. Once again we have a suspenseful plot with the same theme of whether racism and greed will overwhelm the outcome of a legal battle steeped in 1980’s Mississippi. Grisham is definitely an expert story-teller with vivid characters and twists that keep you interested in what ‘should’ be a tedious and boring lawsuit over a hand-written will. A wonderful blend of comedy, tears, drama, suspense and gut-wrenching angst. Your opinion of the verdict sways back & forth but just when you think the outcome is obvious – guess again!If you haven’t read “A Time to Kill” yet (or watched the movie), you might want to read it first, because it is equally good and this book will be a bit of spoiler.

⭐ John Grisham’s Book, Sycamore Row: A Novel is a must read. It touches so many old and current topics.A good trial is when you listen to one of the lawyers and think, “Of course, there’s the truth. He’ll win.” Then you listen to the next lawyer and think exactly the same thing.The characters are so well drawn that you feel for them all. Some you love and some you hate, but the ending will find you with tears in your eyes.

⭐ John Grisham has done it again!Without question, this book is absolutely phenomenal! I typically don’t write reviews; however, I’m compelled to share my opinion. The storyline so rich with vivid details, riveting characters, and humor that I found myself reading it for hours at a time. I laughed, cried, felt sorrow and joy as I read from chapter to the next.I highly recommend this book as an addition to your personal library.Thank you John!

⭐ After reading many books by self-published authors, this professionally written and edited novel was a reawakening as to why certain authors have earned the attention and respect of big name publishers. I admire the talent and intelligence of John Grisham to weave an amazing story and write a page-turner with such great ease and finesse. Well done! If you haven’t read his work yet, I highly recommend that you do. Although some of his books have been made into movies, as they say, the books are always better.

⭐ Last novel I read from Mr. Grisham was The Rainmaker. This one was okay, but man it took a long time to get set up. Trial scenes take time, I understand, but it didn’t deliver the way it should have. Big storyline, broad stroke characterizations, and some antics thrown into the equation, but about a quarter of the way in you start seeing people who are getting more in the way of the story and you start to wonder when things will get streamlined. You could read far worse books, I guess, but I was a little disappointed in how little return I got for all the effort. I have great respect for Mr. Grisham and the story he tells is rich, it’s just not my kind of story. Maybe I’m more disappointed by the numerous high star reviews that influenced my purchase. Will be reading another of his books shortly since it helps pass the time on the exercycle.

⭐ A very detailed and truthful description of how a conflict regarding a will/testament can take place in the USA. However, the number of surprises allowed during the trial is unreasonable, since US law dictates that all should be revealed before the trial. The other side should have time to investigate the background of information which is provided during the trial.Thus, a number of surprises during the trial seems rather impossible, but I may be wrong in my understanding of US law.The final trial description is a very exciting final. The period before the trial is not so exciting, but seems to show how such things happen.

⭐ I do not think that I have ever read a book as slowly as I did Sycamore Row. I wanted to sink into the time and place that John Grisham was unfolding for me. I wanted to understand the racial nuances that are as important as any individual character in this book. I needed to step away from my current beliefs of political correctness and return to a more turbulent time of 1988 Clayton, Mississippi.Many of the old characters from A Time to Kill are here, but the setting is different. Jake Brigance is still trying to rebuild his life after the Klan burned down his home and the insurance company has been stalling for three years as to the payoff. What Jake needs is an infusion of cash, what he did not expect was how the suicide and holographic will of a much disliked man was going to change everything.Money changes people and when Henry Seth Hubbard, a white man, leaves the majority of his estate to his housekeeper Lettie Lang, a black woman, all hell breaks loose as anyone and everyone has an opinion as to why.As a reader, a personal relationship between the two seemed too obvious and Mr. Grisham is a much better writer than that, so I began to jump to my own conclusions. Of course, I was wrong and the truth behind the largess is stunning. I reread that part twice and I swear I did not breathe either time.Say what you will about John Grisham, but this man can write a courtroom drama. What unfolds in both the legal arena and the lives of those involved is both stupefying and mesmerizing. The people, the personalities, the humor, it all rings true. Bad choices are made that can derail the whole thing, but when you are fighting for the wishes of one man, a man with a secret that must be told, there is no stopping Jake in his fight for his client.

⭐ This is a typical Grisham novel. I love his books and this one was no exception. The story was well crafted, believable, and well paced. The character development is excellent – by the end you feel like you know everyone in the book, especially Jake. I appreciate his take on race relations. He addresses the real racism that existed in the South decades ago, but doesn’t pander to the “white fragility” racism of today. If you’re looking for a good book to curl up on the couch with during Christmas this is it.

⭐ I love Grisham novels and this novel started out great. It quickly devolved into a plethera of legal jargon, definitions, witness issues, each witness of the jury had a full page or two devoted to them and they were not that interesting. I feel like this was a work in which the author got paid by the word.Seriously……if I here one more convoluted story regarding this or that legal issue one more time. Example, when the jurors were being chosen, at ” Potential juror #56—I had it! I put the book down for a time then finished it later.Not his best work, when not raping my ears about legal fluff/page fillers, it was ok at best.

Keywords

Free Download Sycamore Row in Epub format
Sycamore Row Epub Free Download
Download Sycamore Row 2013 Epub Free
Sycamore Row 2013 Epub Free Download
Download Sycamore Row Epub
Free Download Ebook Sycamore Row