By searching this site you will see that I have read all of Grisham’s novels.  My point is that THE RECKONING, comes closest to my imagining that the book may well be based upon a true story.  In fact in the Acknowledgements, Grisham hints that the story comes from a memorable tale and suggests that anyone who might have knowledge of the actual circumstances contact him.

John Grisham, the wonderful storyteller, sets THE RECKONING in the cotton fields of northern Mississippi. He establishes a decades old planter class nuclear family living on a plantation that has a “Gone With The Wind,” flavor. All is well until suddenly the reader is transplanted to the horrendous Bataan Death March during World War II.  The detail is so vivid and well researched that Grisham becomes a historical novelist  similar to the work of Jeff Shaara. ( search this site).

The story returns to Mississippi with Grisham twists to the end that keep the reader’s eye glued to the very last page.

You will want to add THE RECKONING to your Grisham list. His most recent book, THE INNOCENT MAN, is in fact his first work on non-fiction. No surprise after reading THE RECKONING.