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A legal thriller with a racial theme. A white police officer shoots an black kid, after the suspect failed to yield, the officer hearing a gunshot and fearing for his life. No gun is found. A young black female attorney from the town, returns to take care of her caretaker Aunt and is horrified along with the entire black community. Then the victim's mother forgives the cop, and the attorney decides to defend him. A number of twists and turns that kept me guessing, but too slow and way too much religion, at least for my liking. ( )

Robert Whitlow is one of my book club’s favorite authors. We read every book that he publishes. A Time to Stand was our selection this month, and we were not disappointed. A timely novel, it looks at the prejudices and preconceived attitudes of a small southern town — a town that reflects America as a whole. We found this an excellent look at the racial divides within our society. Highly recommended.

A Time to Stand begins with the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager by a young white policeman. As the investigation begins, the sentiments of the town fall along racial lines. Whitlow does a great job of showing the deep-rooted prejudices and injustices that influenced the modern day attitudes of both sides. At the center of the action is Adisa Johnson, a young black lawyer who at first wants to serve as a special prosecutor in the case, but comes to represent the police officer. Controversy follows quickly.

Forgiveness is a major theme of the novel. As the young man who is shot fights for his life, his grandmother who raised him calls upon her community to grant forgiveness to the police officer. She never says justice shouldn’t be served, but does call for the healing that forgiveness can bring. Her character also causes controversy and causes Adisa to reevaluate her own beliefs. The criminal investigation and legal proceedings are interesting, but really take a back seat to the evolution of the main characters and the community as a whole as they are forced to confront deeply held beliefs that do not align with what Jesus teaches. There are plenty of twists and turns to the story, but at the end the characters and the community are stronger for the lessons learned.

A Time to Stand is Whitlow at his best. He is a strong writer whose characters speak to the hearts of his readers. There’s a lot to learn from this book, and it will cause the reader to reevaluate their own thinking. Another highly recommended read from Whitlow.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults. ( )

I’m trying to gather my thoughts after finishing this outstanding book. The story could be taken from the front page of any newspaper. A young black man is shot and a white police officer is responsible. This seems to be the hot topic right now as tension is high among people. The author wtites a story that shows both sides of this controversy and digs deep into your emotions.

I liked Adisa right away because she wanted to do right for her client no matter what race either one of them were. She knew there would be speculation from reporters why she was representing Luke, the police officer involved in the shorting. Being a black woman and defending Luke did cause some backlash, but her integrity was very impressive. The story is very tense at times and I loved how the author showed how someone can be unbiased no matter what race they are.

It was interesting to see how divided people were on this shooting and Adisa was determined to stand up for the truth. I loved how the author explored racism in a way that makes us think how easy we jump to conclusions just by looking at the color or one’s skin. I encourage everyone to read this book and examine ourselves. Are we guilty of being prejudice?

“If you want to stamp out prejudice, there has to be an admission that it exists.”

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Adisa Johnson, a young African-American lawyer, never expected that conversing with a reporter would lead to losing her job. Luke Nelson, a white police officer, never planned to shoot an unarmed African-American youth. When their split-second decisions alter Adisa and Luke's lives, they find themselves uncomfortably situated together. Adisa, as a reluctant and loyalty-divided defense lawyer, and Luke, as a suspicious but desperate client. Their tenuous relationship serves as an example of their respective communities and the racial tensions that exist far after slavery's abolition. As circumstances escalate and Luke's hope of exoneration diminishes, the future seems dark. Everyone involved, white and black, must confront their own prejudices. Only then can light, hope, and life arise.

A Time to Stand is the first novel I've read by Robert Whitlow. The plot was engaging, but not captivating to where I felt I couldn't put it down. Adisa's relationships, spiritual growth and the preparing of a legal defense were the most interesting aspects of the story to me. As expected, the challenging issue of racial prejudice spans this entire novel. The author attempted to address multiple sides of the issue, but I'd be interested in hearing the thoughts of an African-American reader as to how authentic this book reads. While the main issue of the book is racial prejudice, there are other thought-provoking nuggets throughout the book including a most encouraging one: Our actions and prayers matter more than we'll ever know.

I recommend A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow to readers looking for a thought-provoking read with elements of suspense and drama.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ( )