Defending Jacob by William Landay and Boston Iced Tea
Recipe link
Apparently, Massachusetts is known for great cranberry bogs. Since the setting took place outside of Boston, I went with this simple recipe. There are many variations of this tea. Basically, though, you just add one can of frozen cranberry concentrate to your tea. I know I am Southern but I now drink unsweet tea. This has one cup of sugar, so it is not too sweet but sweet enough!
To the book…
I had this book saved in my Amazon Wish List for a long time. I had no clue this was a series on Apple TV until my book came in. First, let me say, from what I have researched, the tv series is somewhat different than the book (especially the ending). The tv series looks really good BUT I may hold off watching it since there are some differences between it and the book.
Here is the book synopsis from Amazon:
Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney for two decades. He is respected. Admired in the courtroom. Happy at home with the loves of his life: his wife, Laurie, and their teenage son, Jacob. Then Andy’s quiet suburb is stunned by a shocking crime: a young boy stabbed to death in a leafy park. And an even greater shock: The accused is Andy’s own son—shy, awkward, mysterious Jacob.
Andy believes in Jacob’s innocence. Any parent would. But the pressure mounts. Damning evidence. Doubt. A faltering marriage. The neighbors’ contempt. A murder trial that threatens to obliterate Andy’s family. It is the ultimate test for any parent: How far would you go to protect your child? It is a test of devotion. A test of how well a parent can know a child. For Andy Barber, a man with an iron will and a dark secret, it is a test of guilt and innocence in the deepest sense.
How far would you go?
Did I enjoy this book? YES! I do think many may not like the book if you are not into legal mumbo jumbo; however, there are some really good consideration points that emerge from this book. So here are my thoughts…
1) I think the author does a great job in describing how a child’s legal trouble can impact a family. The strain. The pressure. The health. The ridicule by the community. It was clearly stated (about twice) in the book that the family did not believe in God. I really do not see how any family can survive any situation, like this one or not, if you do not believe in a Sovereign God.
2) One of the reasons he wrote this book is to bring attention to a somewhat recent debate on nature v nurture. You have a kid who is accused of a heinous crime…a kid that comes from a middle class, stable family. What would drive a kid to commit such acts? Is a child born with a genetic tendency to murder? Or does your environment influence you?
This point is what had me thinking. How do I view this concept as a Christian? Although I am going to continue to reflect on this thought, I did come across an article from Focus on the Family that discussed nature v nurture from a Christian perspective. Click on the link to read in detail but here is basically a synopsis: as a Christian, it is not nature or nurture but BOTH.
- Nature – we are created in the image of God, each of us uniquely made. We all have different personalities, so it is safe to say that there is a “nature” aspect of who we are. If you are a parent of more than one child, you probably see these differences each day. My oldest is very gifted in the arts (band, piano, drawing) and loves to read. My youngest loves math and gymnastics. My youngest is very stubborn and strong-willed. I have come to realize that is who she is and our job (the “nurture” part) is to mold her personality (who she is) as one who glorifies God in everything she does. The other part of “nature” is knowing that we are born as sinners which is why it is even more important for Christian parents to instruct their children in God’s Word (the “nurture” part again). Because we are sinners, we will make mistakes and screw ups. It is important to recognize this and our need for Christ.
- Nurture – while I would love to not have a very strong-willed child (at times, anyway), that is who she is so our role (my husband and me) is to help shape her character, who she will be. In the book, Jacob’s parents were great parents; however, they did not deal with the “heart of the issue” – Jacob’s heart. There was not recognition of the need for Christ due to who we are when we are born (the sinner). They assumed that being “good parents” will produce a “good child.” Sadly, we all think that, and Christian parents are the worse at not recognizing the fallibility of our children. And…just because you are a Christian does not mean you are immune to having trials and tribulations with your children.
As I reflect on all this, I think about how parents “defend” their children all the time. My husband and I are both teachers (both of us nearly 20 years each). I am sure what I am about to say will be supported by many teachers. Parents, stop defending your children when they screw up. As hard as it is to accept that kids make mistakes (or get in trouble with the law), it is what it is. By defending them and not accepting what they did, you are only adding to the problem. I cannot even begin to tell you how many parents make excuses for what their child did in class. If a child was disrespectful to me, it is a personality clash. If a child cheated on a test, it was ____(fill in the blank)____. The best “defender” excuse I know, out of all my teacher years, was one my husband had two years ago. He gave his 7th graders a simple map quiz on a day he had a sub (a quiz they had known about for weeks). Long story short, he realized that many cheated on this simple map quiz. He had a talk with them about confessing to their parents what they did before he contacted them. At the end of the week, he had a parent conference with parents of one of the students who cheated. The parents were not defending their child because he cheated but were upset that my husband “created an environment that enabled cheating.” [INSERT MAJOR LAUGHING AND A “DO WHAT?!?!”] Granted, we all naturally want to take up for our children; however, we also must realize they are little sinners who will mess up. How will we, as parents, NURTURE them and help develop their character THROUGH their many screw-ups? That is the ultimate question.
In summary, I liked this book. I love studying the law. My senior year in college, I considered law school and came very close signing up for the LSAT. This book does an incredible job of showing the workings of a trial. This book is also told in a very creative manner. It did take a few chapters to get into the book but once the trial starts, it just sort of flies.
I am not sure if I will watch the tv series, knowing the changes that were made to the story. However, I do love some good crime drama so we will see…
