Seth Hubbard lived a life of risk and disappointment; his two failed marriages did little to boost his faith in himself – or in lawyers – and his careless parenting ensured selfish children just as disinclined to maintain a relationship as he. With nothing to lose and no regrets, Seth spun into a business whirlwind, selling and buying companies as fast as he could, and within 10 years, he had millions. When he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, however, Seth decided to remove himself from one storm and stir up another guaranteed to turn Ford County, Mississippi, and his children’s lives upside down.
Plot Overview: Family, Estrangement and Morality
Three years after the Carl Lee Hailey verdict, Jake Brigance can only count a $900 payment, a destroyed home and a practice just as flourishing (or not) as it was in 1985. Lucien Wilbanks is taking an increasing interest in the firm, which is pause for concern for the meticulous and self-disciplined Jake, and Harry Rex, up to his same old vicious divorce tricks, is ready and willing to give unsolicited advice. Not unlike his future client’s, Jake’s life could be seen as one of risk and disappointment sprinkled with accomplishments.
On what appears to be a routine morning, Jake finds a letter written and mailed by Seth Hubbard just days before his suicide. Included in the letter is a holographic will that leaves 90 percent of his estate to his housekeeper, Lettie Lang, five percent to his church and five to his brother, Ancil. Lang, who stands to inherit upwards of $12 million after taxes, is not only African-American, a fact that is unsettling to some in Ford County, but she also toes the line of poverty, leading many to question the nature of her relationship with Seth.
With millions of dollars at stake, greedy children and distant Lang relatives coming out of the woodwork with hands open, the issue of Seth’s will is complicated, dramatic and just the kind of legal meat that Jake has been craving.
Criticisms and Compliments
As a follow-up to A Time to Kill, arguably one of Grisham’s best – if not the best, plot-wise – Sycamore Row makes for a welcome reunion. Readers are immediately ushered back into the lazy scandals of Ford County, and Jake’s entourage of quirky characters, plus a new (and naturally female) associate, is as brilliant and comical as always. Lucien, in particular, takes on a heavier role, which allows Grisham to delve further into the twisted and boozy mind of one of his most eccentric characters.
While Sycamore Row is a terrific read just for the update on the cast of A Time to Kill, it isn’t necessarily Grisham’s best written novel, and it lacks the humor of The Litigators and The Brethren. That said, the plot of Sycamore Row is riveting. A contested will, at first glance, wouldn’t make for an obvious plot point, but Grisham pulls at enough strings to keep the reader engaged until the last page. Out of all of his books, Sycamore Row is the hardest to put down.
Thankfully, Sycamore Row isn’t one that requires a reading of its predecessor, though it certainly helps in understanding character motivations; rather, it is a book for the every reader – there’s not one person who couldn’t enjoy this story.
Source:
- Grisham, John. Sycamore Row. Doubleday, 2013 ISBN 9780385537131
