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Fr. Brown's Fall 2024 Reading List

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of FreedomCover of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom showing a portrait in color of Frederick Douglass in three-quarter profile

As a young man Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) escaped from slavery in Baltimore, Maryland. He was fortunate to have been taught to read by his slave owner mistress, and he would go on to become one of the major literary figures of his time. His very existence gave the lie to slave owners: with dignity and great intelligence he bore witness to the brutality of slavery.

Initially mentored by William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass spoke widely, using his own story to condemn slavery. By the Civil War, Douglass had become the most famed and widely travelled orator in the nation. In his unique and eloquent voice, written and spoken, Douglass was a fierce critic of the United States as well as a radical patriot. After the war he sometimes argued politically with younger African Americans, but he never forsook either the Republican party or the cause of black civil and political rights.

In this “cinematic and deeply engaging” (The New York Times Book Review) biography, David Blight has drawn on new information held in a private collection that few other historian have consulted, as well as recently discovered issues of Douglass’s newspapers. “Absorbing and even moving…a brilliant book that speaks to our own time as well as Douglass’s” (The Wall Street Journal), Blight’s biography tells the fascinating story of Douglass’s two marriages and his complex extended family. “David Blight has written the definitive biography of Frederick Douglass…a powerful portrait of one of the most important American voices of the nineteenth century” (The Boston Globe).

On the Jury Trial: Principles and Practices for Effective AdvocacyCover of On the Jury Trial, a silhouette of jury chairs at a bench on a white background with red lettering

Two outstanding Texas trial lawyers—one now an equally respected district judge—have written On the Jury Trial, a “must have” reference for any trial lawyer aspiring to excellence or seeking to maintain it. Topics include voir dire, opening statement, preparing witnesses, cross examination, using exhibits, closing argument, jury research, and more, with excellent examples and “do’s and don’ts” provided throughout. Think of this book as the senior law partner’s memo to associates on how to really try a case.

Looking for fly-on-the-wall insight into world-class trial preparation and strategy? Here it is. A behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings of the judicial process? This book has you covered. Its combination of advice, illustration, and commentary is every bit as valuable as it is unique. Every litigator should have this book on the shelf, no matter the state in which they practice.

American Muslim: An Immigrant's JourneyCover of American Muslim: An Immigrant's Journey, showing a silhouette of a woman standing in front of an American flag

American Muslim: An Immigrant’s Journey is a gripping account of one woman’s search for home and belonging in the United States of America.

Saima Adil Sitwat emigrated to the United States of America from Pakistan, in 2003. Her immigrant experience was defined, not only by learning the nuances of the American language and culture but also that of the American Muslims. A Muslim by birth, Saima would struggle to find her place within the American as well as the American Muslim community. Along the way, she would become a mother and a community leader.

American Muslim: An Immigrant’s Journey, is a saga of stretching boundaries and reconciling with the evolving notions of home. But more poignantly, Saima’s story leads us to explore some fundamental questions of our present-day world: What does it mean to be a minority, a Muslim, an immigrant, and a woman in 21st century America?

American MotherCover of American Mother, the book title superimposed over a photograph of a man in profile

What does a mother say to the person responsible for kidnapping, torturing, and murdering her son? National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann channels Diane Foley’s voice as she tells her story, as the mother of American journalist Jim Foley – in search of answers, beyond justice, found through dogged, empathetic, spiritual enquiry.  

In late 2021, Diane Foley sat at a table across from her son's killer, Alexanda Kotey, a member of the ISIS group known as "The Beatles" who plead guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son seven years before. Kotey was about to go serve life imprisonment and this was Diane’s chance to talk to the man who had been involved with brutally taking her son's last breath. What would she say to his killer? What would he reveal to her? Might she even be able to summon forgiveness for him?  

So begins American Mother— which reads alternately like a thriller, a biography, a mystery, a memoir, and a literary examination of grace.  

Diane looks back on the early days when Jim was a child and his journey to journalism, and the killing fields of the world where he reports with indefatigable determination and insight on the plight of those caught up in the agonies of war. She guides us through her family history and the difficulties they faced when Jim was captured. And she also charts the tenacity it takes to turn her grief into grace as she seeks to give voice to those who are still being kidnapped and wrongfully detained around the world.

Few journeys are more worthy than this and, in this astonishing book, we are all invited to celebrate the lives of those who are never, in the end, gone. 

 

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