The first novella, which is a story of forgiveness, revenge and friendship, is titled “Homecoming”, and it features one of the few characters who has appeared in multiple Grisham novels, Jake Brigance. He is a small-town practitioner with an office in Ford County, Mississippi. Jake first appeared in A Time to Kill and then again in Sycamore Row (2013), and later in A Time for Mercy (2020). This time around, Jake is asked to help an old friend, Mark Stafford, also a lawyer who's found his life falling apart and chose to solve his dilemma by running away from town.
Next, “Strawberry Moon” is the most poignant story, featuring Cody Wallace, a young man on death row who is only three hours away from being executed. Grisham utilises the time that Cody is still alive to delve into his life, the crime that he was convicted of, and the pain and madness that is capital punishment in America. Here, the author makes a plea for the abolition of the death penalty that is clear and concise.
In the end, if you find Grisham novels were page turners in the past, the three novellas in Sparring Partners read even faster than that. Enjoy.