Author: Scott Turow
Published: 1990
The novel Burden of Proof by Scott Turow is the tale of lawyer Alejandro "Sandy" Stern's journey through the courts of law during a time of great turmoil in both his personal and work life. His wife of 32 years commits suicide at the beginning of the book just to kick things into an immediate tailspin for Sandy. All throughout this terrible time his most difficult client (and brother-in-law), Dixon Hartnell is running into serious trouble with the Federal government. The story follows Stern's coping with the death of his wife, his constant dealings with Dixon and his incessant pursuit of the respect of his children. From the second paragraph the reader can tell that Dixon is the antagonist in this story, "For two days he had been in Chicago-that city of rough souls-on behalf of his most difficult client. Dixon Hartnell was a callous, self-centered, and generally scornful of his lawyer's advice; worst of all, representing him was a permanent engagement." (Pg. 1). The book has an incredibly interesting and fulfilling plot that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the entire reading.
Alejandro "Sandy" Stern is a very interesting and complex character. As the protagonist of the story the plot revolves around his struggles and triumphs. He is regarded as one of the best lawyers in the midwest, and this plays to his advantage when facing state attorneys (who are afraid of him). Sandy, was born in Argentina in the mid 1930's. He was the son of a German-Jewish doctor, communicating with his parents in German and Yiddish. In the year 1947 after his brother and father had died, he and the rest of his siblings fled for America. Upon arrival in the U.S. Sandy, had an obsession with becoming American. He dropped the Alejandro and went by Sandy and tried to rid himself of his Latin accent (which he never accomplished). Through tireless efforts he acquainted himself with American traditions, pastimes, and sports. This quote bears direct relevance to Stern's efforts to embrace American culture (specifically sports) "Stern, who had made baseball one of his most passionate studies in learning the American way of life..." (Pg. 97). Stern obsessed with being viewed as an American occasionally distracts him. Stern is a kind, discreet, and certainly not a flashy man; despite this his subtleness and efforts to not stand out make him a major hit with the women.
In Scott Turow's Burden of Proof, Turow leaves very few clues about the crime. He reveals information on the charges slowly and discreetly. The case is laid out early on and the rest of the book is basically a whodunit type of scenario. The scene where the criminal is revealed is very tense and exciting. The criminal is a member of Stern's family and his actions were absolutely detrimental to the current family issues. Stern composed himself well but forcefully in this scenario, "Peter, I shall say this once. What you have done is unforgivable. It is wholly immoral. And, as important, you have risked unlimited misery for everyone in this family." (pg. 478). Turow did a marvelous job at concealing the criminal throughout the entire book. He is a great author and should be commended for hid good work.
