A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Typically, Oprah and I have very different taste in books. A Lesson Before Dying is one of the rare times that she and I agree. Set in the late 1940's, A Lesson Before Dying tells the story of Grant Wiggins, a young black teacher, and Jefferson, a young black man who witness a murder. During Jefferson's trial, he is compared to a hog, a notion to which he latches on and Grant and Jefferson's family work hard to dispel so that Jefferson can die with dignity. While the book does touch on civil rights, it is more concerned with the transformation of Jefferson from a "hog" to a person and the transformation of Grant, who is dissatisfied with his life in Bayonne, Louisiana. This is a powerful, moving book. Fans of The Help will be able to draw some similarities.

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