by Dan Abrams
First published 2022
Fred Gray stands before the courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, knowing that history pivots on this moment. At just twenty-four, he has become the defense attorney for Martin Luther King Jr., the young minister leading the bus boycott that has shaken the city to its core. Gray faces a legal system designed to crush the civil rights movement and destroy anyone who dares challenge it. Death threats arrive at King's home while the trial unfolds. Witnesses deliver testimony that reveals the brutal reality of Southern racism to watching audiences worldwide. Behind the scenes, conspirators work to end Gray's career and force him into military service in Vietnam. The courtroom drama reaches its climax when a Supreme Court decision stops all proceedings. Gray must navigate not only the immediate legal battle but also the larger war for equality itself. This is the story of how a landmark trial transformed a local minister into a national symbol of justice, told through the eyes of the lawyer King called his brilliant young leader.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american-historical-fiction, legal-thriller, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, legal-battle, social-justice
Setting: Alabama, Montgomery
Period: 20th Century
Unknown Binding · Hanover Square Press
Content warnings: racism, violence