From the Publisher
Once Judge Atlee was a powerful figure in Clanton, Mississippi--a
pillar of the community who towered over local law and politics for
forty years. Now the judge is a shadow of his former self, a sick,
lonely old man who has withdrawn to his sprawling ancestral home.
Knowing the end is near, Judge Atlee has issued a summons for his
two sons to return to Clanton to discuss his estate. Ray Atlee is
the eldest, a Virginia law professor, newly single and still
enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. Forrest is Ray's
younger brother, who redefines the notion of a family's black
sheep.
The summons is typed by the judge himself, on his handsome old
stationery, and gives the date and time for Ray and Forrest to
appear in his study. Ray reluctantly heads south to his hometown,
to the place where he grew up and now prefers to avoid. But the
family meeting does not take place. The judge dies too soon, and in
doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray.
And perhaps someone else.
From the Paperback edition.
From the Jacket
Once Judge Atlee was a powerful figure in Clanton, Mississippi--a
pillar of the community who towered over local law and politics for
forty years. Now the judge is a shadow of his former self, a sick,
lonely old man who has withdrawn to his sprawling ancestral home.
Knowing the end is near, Judge Atlee has issued a summons for his
two sons to return to Clanton to discuss his estate. Ray Atlee is
the eldest, a Virginia law professor, newly single and still
enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. Forrest is Ray''s
younger brother, who redefines the notion of a family''s black
sheep.
The summons is typed by the judge himself, on his handsome old
stationery, and gives the date and time for Ray and Forrest to
appear in his study. Ray reluctantly heads south to his hometown,
to the place where he grew up and now prefers to avoid. But the
family meeting does not take place. The judge dies too soon, and in
doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray.
And perhaps someone else.
"From the Paperback edition.
About the Author
John Grisham is the author of Skipping Christmas, The
Summons, A Painted House, The Brethren, The Testament, The Street
Lawyer, The Partner, The Runaway Jury, The Rainmaker, The Chamber,
The Client, The Pelican Brief, The Firm, and
A Time to Kill. He lives with his family in
Mississippi and Virginia.
From the Paperback edition.
Format: Trade Paperback
Published: September 27, 2005
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Language: English
