John Grisham, the author of this book, was born on February
8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. His father was a building worker
and the family was poor. They moved frequently until 1967
when they settled in Southaven, Mississippi. Grisham’s mother
encouraged him to read when he was young, which began his
love of books. He graduated in 1977 from Mississippi State
University. From there he went to the University of Mississippi
to study law, graduating in 1981. At first, he studied tax law but
then switched to criminal law. After graduating, Grisham started
his own law firm in Southaven. In 1983, he was elected to the
Mississippi House of Representatives, where he served until 1990.
While working in politics, he continued his law practice.