Why read Let the Lord Sort Them?

Book cover of Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death

Book description

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A deeply reported, searingly honest portrait of the death penalty in Texas—and what it tells us about crime and punishment in America

“If you’re one of those people who despair that nothing changes, and dream that something can, this is a story of how…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked Let the Lord Sort Them as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Stacey Swann

Author

I spent my twenties watching in horror as Texas and then-Governor Bush executed more prisoners than any other governor in modern American history, only to be replaced by Gov. Rick Perry who executed even more. In Chammah’s deeply researched non-fiction exploration of the death penalty, he focuses on Texas, “the epicenter of capital punishment.” I better understood our justice system through his intimate focus on the individuals impacted by the larger system. And the book gave me a measure of hope, too—the societal problems that seem intractable can actually improve over time, through the work of many.

From Stacey's list on that show Texas isn't just about cattle and oil.