A Lesson Before Dying
by Ernest J. Gaines
★ Top 25 book of 1993 · #20 on Best Books of 1993
In late 1940s Cajun Louisiana, Jefferson is condemned to death after a liquor store shoot-out, and his lawyer likens him to a hog. Teacher Grant Wiggins is urged to help him find pride before he dies, and a bond forms.
Best for: Readers who want a moving story of death, identity, and resistance
A Lesson Before Dying is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 1993, out of 36 1993 books that cleared our data bar.
What A Lesson Before Dying is about
Set in a small Cajun community in Louisiana in the late 1940s, this novel is Ernest J. Gaines's first in ten years, from the author of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Jefferson, a young black man, is caught up against his will in a liquor store shoot-out in which the other three men, including the white owner, are killed. As the sole survivor, he is accused of murder. His defense argues he is too unintelligent to have planned anything, comparing him to a hog, and he is condemned to death.
Grant Wiggins left for university and came back to teach at the plantation school, still wondering whether to head north or west as so many have. Jefferson's godmother and Grant's aunt press him to get involved. Quiet and moving, it is a story about dignity, injustice and what a community asks of its own.
A Lesson Before Dying on the Best Books of 1993
A Lesson Before Dying came out in 1993. Of the 36 books first published in 1993 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #20 on our Best Books of 1993 list.
Why it made the list: 177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (13 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1993 list
- Forward the Foundation Isaac Asimov, #18
- The Celestine Prophecy - an Adventure James Redfield, #19
- Without Remorse Tom Clancy, #21
- How Computers Work Ron White, #22
See all Best Books of 1993 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1992 Best Books of 1994.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 149 want to read it, 13 are reading it now and 15 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 13 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 33 | 55% |
| Reader love | 75 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 61 | 20% |
Questions about A Lesson Before Dying
When was A Lesson Before Dying published?
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines was first published in 1993.
Was A Lesson Before Dying one of the best books of 1993?
A Lesson Before Dying is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 1993, out of 36 1993 books that cleared our data bar. 177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (13 ratings).
Why is A Lesson Before Dying on the Best Books of 1993 list?
177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (13 ratings).
More of the best books of 1993
- The Giver Lois Lowry, #1
- The Scam Debashis Basu, #2
- Along Came a Spider James Patterson, #3
- A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth, #4
- Girl, Interrupted Susanna Kaysen, #5
- Understanding Comics Scott McCloud, #6
See the full Best Books of 1993, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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