The fall season brings us beautiful autumn colors, college football, the World Series, Halloween, Thanksgiving — and another John Grisham novel. Since 1991, when The Firm burst onto the scene, Grisham’s works have consistently occupied a position on the New York Times bestseller list. In addition to his extraordinary writing career, he has shown a strong determination to expose the challenges within the American legal system. To top it off, he writes what a fictional English judge once described as “crackling good yarns.”
In the opening pages of The Widow, readers meet Simon Latch, a struggling attorney who operates a one-man office in a small Virginia community. The building he owns is subject to a hefty mortgage and includes an apartment on the second floor. Because of difficulties in his marriage, Simon often spends his evenings alone in his apartment, away from his wife and three children.
The best tribute I can offer is to simply observe that this novel is “a Grisham.” Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, it’s a wonderful read.
There is little to show for Simon’s 18 years of practice. His cases consist of bankruptcies, foreclosures, small-time personal injuries, minor traffic offenses, divorces where there are no assets to divide, and the occasional will. For $250, he will prepare a three-page document distributing whatever his clients had acquired during their lives. Sadly, most of these wills are unnecessary. Now in his mid-forties, Simon is burned out.
Then one day, Eleanor Barnett walks into Simon’s office. A widow with no immediate family, her will appears to be routine. But during their meeting, she hints there may be more. She claims to have inherited substantial stocks and assets from her late husband, potentially worth several million dollars. Simon realizes this cannot be one of his simple three-page documents. Instead, he must quickly craft a thorough will that might allow him to administer her estate after her death — a job that could bring a significant financial reward.
Eleanor seems eager to have Simon as her attorney. A will is prepared, but Simon knows he must keep her allegiance. He meets with her often, takes her to lunch, and works to stay close. His real motive soon becomes clear — he has not yet confirmed the existence of her claimed assets. Then, suddenly, Eleanor is in a serious car accident and hospitalized. Shortly after, she dies.
Simon soon finds himself back in court, but this time as a defendant facing a murder charge. As Grisham revealed before the book’s release, The Widow introduces—for the first time in his career—a whodunit element to his traditional legal thrillers.
Across his nearly 40-year career, Grisham has used his novels as a platform to examine deep moral questions: corporate corruption, the influence of money in judicial campaigns, the conflict between law and justice, the death penalty, and wrongful convictions. Many of these issues are reflected in The Widow. The best tribute remains that this book is unmistakably “a Grisham.” Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, it’s a story worth your time.
And as I always say — you are the storyteller of your own legend. Reading Grisham’s story may inspire you to reflect on your own.
Here are five questions to explore as you turn the final page:
- What drives your own decisions when faced with moral or ethical challenges?
- How do you balance ambition with integrity in your personal or professional life?
- When have circumstances forced you to redefine success for yourself?
- Who would stand beside you if your world suddenly turned upside down?
- What story — your true story — do you want to leave behind?