Monday

Here come the reviews...

This is so scary...

My first review is in. As is traditional, the trades strike first with Publisher's Weekly weighing in today and Kirkus to follow sometime next week. How did I find this, you might wonder--um, obsessive self googling.



So, without further ado, here it is, the first review of indefensible:

Indefensible: One Lawyer's Journey Into the Inferno of American Justice
Feige, David (Author)

ISBN: 031615623X
Little Brown and Company
Published 2006-06
Hardcover, $24.95 (288p)
Biography & Autobiography | Lawyers & Judges; Law | Legal Profession

Reviewed 2006-04-10
PW

This tragicomic exposé is a roller-coaster ride through the world of justice in the South Bronx. Former trial chief of the Bronx Defenders, Feige takes us through a typically harrowing day as a public defender, dealing with arbitrary judges and clients who are often victims of the judicial system. By a combination of skill and stealth, Feige negotiates the best deal he can get for his clients. In Feige's account, the power of judges-many of whom, he says, are political hacks-triumphs over almost everything else. One judge demanded that all Jews be removed from jury selection because they wouldn't be able to be present on Yom Kippur. To keep up with 75-100 cases at a time. Feige "reinvents" the rules so he can race from one court building to another. We follow the fortunes of dozens of cases, from the ridiculous (Michael, jailed for simply walking a friend's unvaccinated dog) to the tragic ( Jaron, charged with stabbing his cousin). But it's the failure of the system to free the innocent that haunts the author. In this dramatic first book, Feige skillfully shares his wisdom and his humanity and sheds light on a justice system that too often works irrationally.(June 3)

Copyright © 1997-2005 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ok, so I have no idea if this is good or bad. It guess it seems pretty ok, the only thing is, it's not just my failure to free the innocent that haunts me--it's the whole darn system--and if what comes across is that I just care about the innocent, I haven't done my job well at all...

We'll see. Feel free, dear readers to give me your take on this...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a stunningly positive review. It makes me want to read the book, even more than I already do. Be proud!
George

ACS said...

I'll have to read it too, I can't wait!

Mieke said...

Good for you!!! This is just the start.