A Time to Stand
Written by Robert Whitlow
Narrated by Heath McClure
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
A highly relevant and gripping novel that challenges us to ask what it means to forgive while seeking justice and to pursue reconciliation while loving others as ourselves.
Adisa Johnson is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.
Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.
Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable as a young black woman—defend the officer.
As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.
In a small Georgia town where racial tensions run high and lives are at stake, can one lawyer stand up for justice against the tides of prejudice?
- A stand-alone legal drama
- Book length: approximately 120,000 words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Robert Whitlow
Robert Whitlow is the bestselling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. He received his JD with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. Website: robertwhitlow.com; X: @whitlowwriter; Facebook: @robertwhitlowbooks.
More audiobooks from Robert Whitlow
Relative Justice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Water's Edge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Trial and Error Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chosen People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Double Indemnity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Confession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Choice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mountain Top Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Living Room Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jimmy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The List Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to A Time to Stand
Related audiobooks
Deeper Water: A Tides of Truth Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Living Room Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witnesses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life Everlasting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Greater Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jimmy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Choice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Higher Hope: Tides of Truth, Book 2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Confession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life Support Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mountain Top Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The List Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Promised Land Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A House Divided Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Plea Bargain Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Judge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Directed Verdict Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Justice Game Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5False Witness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fatal Convictions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5By Reason of Insanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death in the Mind's Eye Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Perilous Judgment: A Real Justice Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Resurrection File Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breach of Promise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Occupied Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Christian Fiction For You
The Great Divorce Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Present Darkness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stranger in the Lifeboat: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Redeeming Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lamb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Six Creepy Stories by Edgar Allan Poe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When Crickets Cry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hind's Feet on High Places Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sugar Birds: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Circle Series: Black/Red/White/Green Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pilgrim's Progress Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Visitation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Green Ember: The Green Ember Book I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5House Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Divine Comedy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Water Keeper Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Voice in the Wind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Oath Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Oracle: The Jubilean Mysteries Unveiled Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lilith Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Trial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eve Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As One Devil to Another: A Fiendish Correspondence in the Tradition of C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Someone Like You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babel: The Story of the Tower and the Rebellion of Man Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for A Time to Stand
53 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robert Whitlow is one of my book club’s favorite authors. We read every book that he publishes. A Time to Stand was our selection this month, and we were not disappointed. A timely novel, it looks at the prejudices and preconceived attitudes of a small southern town — a town that reflects America as a whole. We found this an excellent look at the racial divides within our society. Highly recommended.A Time to Stand begins with the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager by a young white policeman. As the investigation begins, the sentiments of the town fall along racial lines. Whitlow does a great job of showing the deep-rooted prejudices and injustices that influenced the modern day attitudes of both sides. At the center of the action is Adisa Johnson, a young black lawyer who at first wants to serve as a special prosecutor in the case, but comes to represent the police officer. Controversy follows quickly.Forgiveness is a major theme of the novel. As the young man who is shot fights for his life, his grandmother who raised him calls upon her community to grant forgiveness to the police officer. She never says justice shouldn’t be served, but does call for the healing that forgiveness can bring. Her character also causes controversy and causes Adisa to reevaluate her own beliefs. The criminal investigation and legal proceedings are interesting, but really take a back seat to the evolution of the main characters and the community as a whole as they are forced to confront deeply held beliefs that do not align with what Jesus teaches. There are plenty of twists and turns to the story, but at the end the characters and the community are stronger for the lessons learned.A Time to Stand is Whitlow at his best. He is a strong writer whose characters speak to the hearts of his readers. There’s a lot to learn from this book, and it will cause the reader to reevaluate their own thinking. Another highly recommended read from Whitlow.Highly Recommended.Audience: adults.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I’m trying to gather my thoughts after finishing this outstanding book. The story could be taken from the front page of any newspaper. A young black man is shot and a white police officer is responsible. This seems to be the hot topic right now as tension is high among people. The author wtites a story that shows both sides of this controversy and digs deep into your emotions. I liked Adisa right away because she wanted to do right for her client no matter what race either one of them were. She knew there would be speculation from reporters why she was representing Luke, the police officer involved in the shorting. Being a black woman and defending Luke did cause some backlash, but her integrity was very impressive. The story is very tense at times and I loved how the author showed how someone can be unbiased no matter what race they are.It was interesting to see how divided people were on this shooting and Adisa was determined to stand up for the truth. I loved how the author explored racism in a way that makes us think how easy we jump to conclusions just by looking at the color or one’s skin. I encourage everyone to read this book and examine ourselves. Are we guilty of being prejudice?“If you want to stamp out prejudice, there has to be an admission that it exists.”I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Adisa Johnson, a young African-American lawyer, never expected that conversing with a reporter would lead to losing her job. Luke Nelson, a white police officer, never planned to shoot an unarmed African-American youth. When their split-second decisions alter Adisa and Luke's lives, they find themselves uncomfortably situated together. Adisa, as a reluctant and loyalty-divided defense lawyer, and Luke, as a suspicious but desperate client. Their tenuous relationship serves as an example of their respective communities and the racial tensions that exist far after slavery's abolition. As circumstances escalate and Luke's hope of exoneration diminishes, the future seems dark. Everyone involved, white and black, must confront their own prejudices. Only then can light, hope, and life arise. A Time to Stand is the first novel I've read by Robert Whitlow. The plot was engaging, but not captivating to where I felt I couldn't put it down. Adisa's relationships, spiritual growth and the preparing of a legal defense were the most interesting aspects of the story to me. As expected, the challenging issue of racial prejudice spans this entire novel. The author attempted to address multiple sides of the issue, but I'd be interested in hearing the thoughts of an African-American reader as to how authentic this book reads. While the main issue of the book is racial prejudice, there are other thought-provoking nuggets throughout the book including a most encouraging one: Our actions and prayers matter more than we'll ever know.I recommend A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow to readers looking for a thought-provoking read with elements of suspense and drama.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Title: A Time to StandAuthor: Robert WhitlowPages: 416Year: 2017Publisher: Thomas NelsonMy rating 5+ out of 5 stars.This is a riveting page-turner that packs a punch of truth and faith set in a tale that could easily be taken from newspaper headlines of today! Robert Whitlow’s novels have been a favorite of mine for many years and I look forward to whatever he writes. This novel really puts the bar high, setting this novel apart from his other works. Why? The author takes readers behind possible headlines and society issues to learn and consider the way individuals are impacted by violence, job loss, work politics and how we can live out our faith. The living out of an individual’s faith on both sides of the case involving a police action shooting in the story shows just how tough it can really be.What Robert Whitlow also shares in the book is a powerful way to bridge two opposing sides in a way that glorifies God. Adisa is the main female character who is a lawyer and a brilliant one, too. She cares for the aunt who raised her and her sister, who now requires aid in her later years of life. Reggie is a pastor who leads a congregation and at one point in the novel comes face-to-face with what he believes and how powerful forgiveness can be.Officer Nelson and his wife go through some troubled times, financial demands and an uncertain future. Each character in the book must come face-to-face with the prejudices they carry in their heart in a very truthful manner that is very difficult. I think the novel points out how quickly people judge or decide a matter before all the facts are in or known. Read Robert Whitlow’s newest gripping, heart-pounding adventure set in a rural town as it will really touch your heart like it did mine!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”