This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
I am a former trial lawyer and retired judge and have lived for my adult life in the Bay Area where Fay Stender grew up and practiced law. I grew interested in her achievements after her death when an annual award started being given out in her name by California Women Lawyers on whose board I served. (She was on its first elected board). When the first woman chief judge of our district told me that Fay Stender deserved to be recognized for her outstanding trial work as much as top male lawyers, I decided to research and write about her career, the obstacles she faced and the phenomenal inroads she achieved in changing an unfair justice system.
Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender by Lise Pearlman is a spellbinding biography of an unflagging woman, a powerful lawyer whose contribution helped in shaping the societal conscience of her time, from the McCarthy Era until the '70s. Fay Stender put aside the concert piano to become an advocate for change, taking up the mission to defend the most controversial and notorious criminals of her time. Follow her impassioned presence in the courtroom in cases like the death penalty trial of Black Panther Party leader Huey Newton and through a life punctuated by protest marches, riots, assassinations, police brutality and more. But then an ex-felon invaded her home in 1979, shot her, and left her crippled.
This is a well-researched, beautifully written biography of one woman’s courage and her incredible journey to challenging the status quo, following her vision, and fighting for justice. Lise Pearlman seems to write from an intimate position, exploring the soul of the protagonist through the challenging and turbulent times in US history. The author weaves powerful political, cultural, and social elements into the setting, transporting readers to a revolutionary period. The writing is evocative, infused with a singular, irresistible charm. Lise Pearlman is a great biographer and storyteller who allows history and social issues to come out through the story. While Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender tells the story of an icon, it revisits the mutations within the judicial system, the reforms in the penitentiary system, and a lot more. It’s both entertaining and informative.
