The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

The death penalty is one of the oldest, most hotly contested arguments in the history of the world. The argument between life and death, an eye for an eye, has been around basically since the beginning of time. Is it is morally acceptable to kill those accused of killing? Is is morally acceptable to kill those accused of raping? At what point does the crime not fit the punishment?

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is an incredible look at the death penalty in the US and one of the most horrifying murder cases in this country's history. The murder of 6 year old Jeremy Guillory at the hands of Rick Langley shook the small southern town of Iowa (pronounced io-way) in Louisiana. But just as the case was on its second trial, it caught the eye of a young lawyer, Alexandira Marzano-Lesnevich. Her first case out of law school was to defend a murderer in a capital case.

But what makes this story all the more interesting is the parallel that Marzano-Lesnevich was able to draw between her life and the story of Rick Langley. It is this parallel that forces Marzano-Lesnevich to rethink her beliefs and take a deeper look at the realities of her childhood, her relationship with her parents, with her siblings, and, most important of all, her grandparents.

Brilliantly written, The Fact of a Body seamlessly interweaves the two stories presented in this book: that of the murder of Jeremy Guillory and the author's own life. The struggle to come to terms with her belief system and the horrors inflicted upon her as a child, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich captures her readers from the start and builds a beautiful, tragic, and compelling story about life, love, and loss.

Highly Recommended: 4.5 stars