the setup…
Stuart Nash is starting his senior year at Davidson College. For three years he’s ridden the bench as a middle linebacker on the football team. During spring training, he has an epiphany that he’s had enough, irrevocably changed by a tragic event in his hometown of Conroy, he makes the decision to quit football and set his sights on law school. Now to explain the decision to his father who expected him to join the family lumber business.
the heart of the story…
What shapes Stuart’s decision is that tragic event in his hometown. It’s the majority of the story and showcases Grisham’s superior storytelling skills. No one does it better and I was deeply absorbed when it ended.
the narration…
Michael Beck gets everything right, from the pacing to the North Carolina dialect. He’s so well matched with a master storyteller and quickly engaged me. He was Stuart.
the bottom line…
If the purpose of the prequel was to whet my already rabid appetite for The French Illusion, well, mission accomplished. I love going into it knowing what inspired Stuart’s decision to become a lawyer and I already like him. Now I’m dying to get my hands on the upcoming book.
Book Info
- Release Date: September 8, 2026
- Series: The French Illusion #.5
- Narrator: Michael Beck
- Audio Length: 38 minutes
- Publisher: Random House Audio
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