Defending Jacob: A Novel

The comparisons I’ve seen of “Defending Jacob” and “Presumed Innocent” are valid ones – but not for the reason I would have thought at first. True, the stories involve a prosecuting attorney embroiled in a murder that ends up hitting far too close to home…but more accurately for me, they are similar in that the main character in each remains emotionally closed off to the reader. It becomes increasingly obvious that there is something the main character, in this case Andy Barber, does not want the reader to know. There is some piece of the puzzle that he has that the reader does not.

“Like many people who have been exposed to violence, I confined my emotions within a narrow range. Never too high, never too low. Since I was show more a kid, I have always made sure of that. My emotions ran on steel rails.”

A classmate of Andy’s son Jacob is murdered, Andy begins working on the case…and then his son Jacob is arrested for the crime. Andy and his wife Laurie are completely blindsided by the charges and they are forced to look more closely at their son, their family and themselves as parents. There is no going back to the life they thought they led once the events are set in motion, and through Andy’s eyes, the reader is given a very tightly controlled view of his world.

“I thought it was important to be – at least to seem – a tower of strength and to encourage her to be strong as well. It was the only sensible approach: Tough it out, get through the trial, do whatever it takes to keep Jacob safe, then repair the emotional damage later. After. It was as if there was a place called After, and if I could just push my family across to that shore, everything would be all right.”

But of course, nothing is all right. The isolation, the doubt, the grief and worry eat away at Laurie and undermine Andy’s view of his role as a husband and father. They are forced to confront so much in the face of few facts and fewer insights into their son. Andy and Laurie’s happy marriage soon becomes a distant memory. Both Laurie and Andy wonder what parts of themselves are actually true and which parts are facades.

“All that ease, all that naturalness, all that credulous self-confidence. For years I had studied men like Burt French, despised them, copied them.”

I did wonder why the story was set in 2007. With the constant mentions of Facebook, Twitter and various I devices, it felt like it was set in present day…yet the events take place 4 years ago. I wasn’t sure why that was important, why the author made that choice when the story seems one that would work just as well in 2011.

“Defending Jacob” is a good legal thriller – a good version of “What If?” Because of Andy’s very careful doling out of facts, the reader remains engaged as the end draws closer, as the truth very slowly and carefully becomes clear. show less

A very well-done family drama in the guise of a legal thriller. Or maybe vice versa? Either way, this story of a prosecuting attorney forced off a case when his son is arrested for the crime raises a lot of uncomfortable questions and doesn't even try to answer them all. I found the narrative compelling and the characters believable and well-developed. And while I was somewhat prepared for the first "twist" at the end, the second took me completely by surprise and left me stunned and my eyes tear-filled. Even if you don't think this is your type of book, give it a shot. You might be surprised.

A terrific, well-written book about what happens to a family when a modern tragedy occurs. In this case, it is not that their child or family member dies; the tragedy is that a young boy in their son's grade and school is killed, and their son is accused of the murder.

Since the dad, Andy, works in the DA's office (First DA is his official title), theirs is a unique view of the case and the trial. Andy wants to take the case initially since he usually takes the high profile ones. That situation remains until his son is charged with the murder, and little by little the stiff neck that Andy shows goes into the sand. He argues as the narrator that Jacob is his son and any parent would try to save him; his wife, Laurie, does her best to keep show more normalcy in the family as she slowly falls apart with the magnitude of this tragedy.

There are also secrets and science and for the first time Andy has to accept that he has to hire a defense lawyer. Jacob comes across as a normal, 14-year-old boy, but then there is the family time and discussions in the defense-appointed psychologist's office and more great (tragic) moments arrive.

It is so hard to review this book without giving anything away! I was ready to try to pull Andy's stiff neck out of the sand, but then Chapter 19 happened and the support of friends on a group was strong and I stuck with the book till the end. OMG! What an end. But the strength of this book is its twists and turns and hard looks at the character, and the stiff neck of the narrator. The fact that I had, um, issues with him points to a writer who understands his characters and that they are human. And humans have flaws. And to see oneself in them, or to see them for stiff-necked humans, is part of the brilliance of this novel.

Hint: it's hard to put down. Other books when on the "hold" pile while this book sucked me in. show less

What would you do if you have an adolescent son who has recently been accused of stabbing a student who bullied him? Would you feel any different if you discovered that your son possesses a genetic flaw known as the "murder gene", a biological propensity toward violence shared by her husband and his father? These are the issues that Laurie Barber and her assistant district attorney husband, Andy, wrestle with when their reclusive son, Jacob, brags about a recent hunting knife purchase with a blade similar to the stab wounds found on the recently deceased class bully. The presence of Jacob's bloodied finger print on the descendant's vest only appears to substantiate his guilt. The author reveals the disintegration of a family as they show more seek to defend their son albeit with doubts about his innocence. The plot explores the premise of whether our behavior is prescribed our genes or whether the genetics be minimized by a nurturing environment. show less

I enjoyed this novel more than any in the genre in a long, long time. The story is equal parts a legal thriller and a story of family dynamics and differing parental perspectives.

On the surface it's a courtroom drama/thriller centering on the murder of a 14 year old boy. The suspect on trial is the 14-year old son of Andy Barber, the assistant district attorney initially charged with investigating the crime but who is now sitting second chair with the lawyer defending his son, Jacob. In addition to the specifics of the crime and the processing of evidence, the reader is witness to some of the internal dynamics of this family and particularly what happens when the two adult members of a family have essentially opposing ideas about what show more it means to protect and take responsibility for your child.

Oddly, I never thought I would be recommending a book from this genre -- legal thriller -- as a book club selection (and I hope I'm not somehow damning the novel by doing so) but I think it offers several points of conflict for discussion. For example: How do you define protecting your child and how far will you go in that pursuit? What is your ultimate responsibility as a parent? How great is the role genetics plays in determining human behavior? This novel has really made me think about these questions and many others.

Strongly recommended. show less

I really enjoyed this, although the only character I could really empathize with was the mother. Honestly for nearly the entire book I wished I could smack the main character, with his willful obtuseness and irritating arrogance. I felt, in his own way, that he's as much a sociopath as any of his progenitors that he's so horrified and ashamed of. I don't feel his steadfast support of his son was really a reflection of his love for him, but more about his own self-image. Likewise, he doesn't seem to have any real feelings for his wife. Whenever he speaks of her, it's all about what she does or has done for him. He's certainly only concerned for her in the most superficial way, although he excuses that to himself as prioritizing his son's show more needs first.

I had, of course, guessed the surprise twist at the end, fairly early in the book. It would have been hard not to, with all the broad hints. But I couldn't guess the circumstances or how it happened, and the story was compelling enough to keep me reading through to the end. I wanted to find out how it all turned out. It was definitely worth the read.

This was the Audible version, read by Grover Gardner, who did an excellent job as usual. show less

As a parent this is one of the most harrowing books I've ever read and has stuck with me long after I finished. It's the story of a family in the suburbs of Boston that seem to have a wonderful life until their 14 year old son is accused of murdering a classmate. The book leads you through the trial without ever letting you know if Jacob is guilty or not, while exploring the theme's of parental support, genetics and family bonds. Well written and I strongly recommend it.