For Genealogy Enthusiasts: Book Review: Sycamore Row by John Grisham

A holograph will was key to this legal drama and, given my interest in genealogical research, I decided to read it. Land deeds, ancestral stories, family trees, lives of long-lost relatives, inheritances, sibling squabbles, riveting descriptions of another time and place in history, etc., made Grisham's book particularly entertaining for those involved in solving family mysteries.

I was a bit disappointed in Simeon Lang's response to his wife's request for a divorce; necessary to tie-up this plotline but rather unbelievable, I thought. Jake Brigance's character, however, was well-developed with insecurities laced throughout his strengths.

The jury selection process in a courtroom trial was interesting and certainly caused me to speculate how true this might be. After all, Grisham was a former lawyer. The rationale underlying Seth Hubbard's decision to bequeath almost his entire estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang, was rather easy to decipher as facts were revealed. The ending, however, was an unexpected twist. Quite satisfying and certainly logical.

As a writer, titles always intrigue me and during my travels, I have often seen rows of Sycamore trees. They are referred to as Plano in Europe, I have learned along the way. The significance of this title was spot on. Though most will decipher it beforehand, the manner of the reveal and Ancil Hubbard's last action on the final page of the book represented a fitting conclusion to a book well-worth reading.

Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca