Novel ripped from headlines challenges ideas of faith and justice
(Sept. 2017) — Robert Whitlow’s “A Time to Stand” (Thomas Nelson; Sept. 12, 2017) is a highly relevant and gripping novel which challenges readers to ask what it means to forgive while seeking justice. The story was sparked by racially charged incidents in Ferguson, Mo., in the summer of 2014—many additional instances across the nation have continued the conversation. Realizing that such topics are often taboo, yet always needed in the social dialogue, Whitlow does not choose sides, but expresses how faith and justice can thrive alongside each other in our world.
“Before writing this book, I looked in the mirror and saw a 61 -year-old white man raised in the South. I come from an enlightened home, but that doesn’t qualify me to lift my voice above a whisper. Nevertheless, I decided to try and I found out we all have a responsibility to pursue reconciliation while loving others as we love ourselves.”
Whitlow’s experience as a lawyer in Georgia beginning in the late 1970s seeps into the book in profound ways. Whitlow received his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. He is a Southerner who speaks from personal knowledge with a redemptive message of hope.
Set in a small Georgia town, the novel begins as lines are drawn and tensions mount when a young African American lawyer, Adisa, is tapped to defend a Caucasian police officer accused of shooting an unarmed African American teen, who is left fighting for his life. As the case unfolds, everyone must confront their own prejudices. For Adisa, it means seeking counsel from those older and wiser, as well as standing tall to find justice, no matter the price.
“We should always be willing to speak the truth and give every man a good answer when given the chance,” said Whitlow. “I hope this book gives readers the courage to do just that.”
“A spotlight on prejudice, race, and the pursuit of justice in a world bent on blind revenge. Fans of Greg Iles’s ‘Natchez Burning’ will find this just as compelling, if not more so.”
—Library Journal
About the Author
Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author and director of legal novels and films set in the South and winner of the prestigious Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. A Furman University graduate, Whitlow received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. A practicing attorney, Whitlow and his wife, Kathy, have four children. They make their home in North Carolina.