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    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror"
    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror"
    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror"
    Ebook51 pages38 minutes

    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror"

    By Gale and Cengage

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    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Literary Newsmakers for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Literary Newsmakers for Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateSep 20, 2016
    ISBN9781535837811
    A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror"

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      A Study Guide for John Grisham's "The Last Juror" - Gale

      1

      The Last Juror

      John Grisham

      2004

      Introduction

      In The Last Juror, published in 2004, John Grisham explores race relations and racism in the American South of the 1970s. Although the title may lead readers to expect a taut courtroom thriller like Grisham's earlier works, this character-driven novel follows the growing relationship between twenty three-year-old Willie Traynor, new owner of the Ford County Times, and Calia Ruffin, also known as Miss Callie, a fifty nine-year old black woman. She is the mother of eight children, seven of whom have earned Ph.D.s—a remarkable accomplishment for the period. The juror of the title does refer to an important legal case that acts as the centerpiece for the book—Danny Padgitt's explosive trial for the rape and brutal murder of a young local widow. Convicted of the murder but sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death, Padgitt spends ten years in jail. When he gets out, jurors from his case start to die under mysterious circumstances.

      Over the course of the story, Grisham introduces many of Clanton, Mississippi's residents and local characters, people like politicians, war veterans, and decaying aristocracy who make the town colorful and unique.

      Author Biography

      John Grisham was born on February 18, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but for the first twelve years of his life, his family moved frequently so his father, a construction worker, could find work. In 1967, his family settled in Southaven, Mississippi where he became involved in sports.

      After his high school graduation, Grisham enrolled at Northwest Junior College in Senatobia, Mississippi, and for a year played baseball for the school team. Restless, he transferred to Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, hoping to become a professional ball player. After the coach at Delta State tactfully pointed out that Grisham was not suited for a baseball career, he transferred to Mississippi State University and studied accounting with the intention of becoming a tax attorney.

      Shortly after earning his law degree from the University of Mississippi, Grisham and his wife Renée returned to Southaven. There, Grisham set up a small practice as a defense attorney. In addition, from 1984 to 1990, he served in the Mississippi House of Representatives. The Grishams have two children: a son, Ty, and a daughter, Shea.

      Grisham's first book, A Time to Kill, was published in 1988. He worked on it as a hobby for three years, getting up early every morning to write before going to work. Though its original print run was five thousand copies, Grisham was satisfied. By then he was working on his second book, a legal thriller titled The Firm. A bootleg copy circulated around Hollywood, and the film rights were bought before the book was even published. The Firm became a bestselling novel of 1991. Eventually, Grisham closed his law practice and quit the state legislature so he could become a full-time writer.

      The Last Juror was published in 2004, making it Grisham's seventeenth novel in seventeen years. Some of his bestselling legal thrillers include The Client, The Pelican Brief, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, and The Runaway Jury, all of

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