Dear Great Book Guru, Last week I attended an amazing event-
the Great Gatsby Gala. Lovers of this
great American novel gathered to enjoy a dramatization of the book, participate
in a detailed discussion of its main themes, and then tested their knowledge in
an extended trivia contest. We all went home with prizes, favors, and dessert
treats from Sleepy Jean’s. While at the
party, someone mentioned a fast-moving literary thriller set in a Florida
courtroom. Any thoughts? Great
Gatsby Gadfly
Dear Great Gatsby Gadfly, I just spent the afternoon reading
THE BODY IN QUESTION by Jill Ciment. This short (200 pages) novel opens as a
panel of jurors are being chosen for what they soon find out is a sensational
murder trial. A teenage girl from a wealthy family is accused of murdering her
toddler brother and her twin sister is testifying against her. The jurors are sequestered for three weeks
and we come to learn much about them all especially Juror C-2 (we do not learn
their names until the last pages of the book).
She is a 52-year-old successful Prius-driving photographer married to an
86-year-old man in poor health. She and Juror F-17 – a forty-year-old medical
school professor - begin an affair that is soon discovered by the rest of the
jury. There are many questions posed: is the accused indeed guilty, what role
did her domineering twin play in the death, how does C-2’s affair cloud her
judgment, and finally what role does the media play in our justice system? A very powerful and disturbing read - highly
recommended!