The University of Alabama Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law and the American Bar Association Journal have announced the three finalists for the 2019 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
The finalists are “The Boat People” by Sharon Bala, “Class Action” by Steven B. Frank and “The Widows of Malabar Hill” by Sujata Massey. The three were chosen from among 25 entries.
The prize is named in honor of the Alabama native and author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and is given annually to the author of a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change.
“This year’s Harper Lee Prize was particularly difficult to judge,” said Molly McDonough, editor and publisher of the ABA Journal. “We were evaluating so many gripping and compelling reads. The finalists represent the diversity of this year’s submissions, from a novel about Sri Lankan refugees seeking a new start, to the story of a trailblazing woman lawyer fighting for her clients in 1920s India, and, finally, a charming middle school book featuring a spunky student who goes to court after he’s suspended for protesting homework. The characters are as inspiring as they are engaging.”
The winner will be chosen by a panel of five judges and in part by the public, who is invited to cast votes for the best book on the ABA Journal website, www.abajournal.com. The public poll will act as a fifth judge, with a vote equal in weight to that of a selection committee member. Voting will be open until the end of June.
