The Fifth Letter - Softcover

Carpenter, Vivian L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0692364536 ISBN 13: 9780692364536

Publisher: Supreme Communications Group, L.L.C., 2015

Synopsis

Sometimes you’re damned if you do and damned if you don't. Such is the position in which Associate Supreme Court Justice Katherine Helena Ross, the first black female on the U.S. Supreme Court, finds herself in The Fifth Letter, the new political thriller by author Vivian Carpenter.

Rooted in the historical treatment of Blacks in the United States, Justice Katherine Ross struggles to do what is right as her mother’s 1940s memoir influences her actions and emotions. Once on the Court, Katherine gains the power to ignite an involuntary retirement process to remove conservative Justice John Galt from the bench after the U.S. Constitution is amended to create an involuntary retirement process for incapacitated justices.

John Galt, an outspoken egoist, survives an assassination attempt but is severely injured. He appears incapacitated. Pressures for Galt’s removal from the bench mount with his prolonged absence from the Court. However, John Galt will not resign is seat. Katherine must decide whether or not to issue the fifth letter for Galt’s retirement.

While weaving through Katherine’s personal challenges, The Fifth Letter turns a spotlight on the most important issue currently facing the Court today: who is a person with inalienable legal rights in America? And it asks this question of its main character: What happens when a liberal Black female justice of the Supreme Court is caught between her conscience and the call of political expedience?

PRAISE FOR THE FIFTH LETTER

“Frequently political novels are a genre for truth telling. Dr. Vivian Carpenter's description of inside Washington rings true. The Fifth Letter takes us forward to a United States Supreme Court foreshadowed by the current Court's personalities and political tilt. This novel will engage and educate its readers.” ---Former Senator Bob Graham of Florida, Former Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee

"The Fifth Letter is a remarkable first novel... The past informs the present in this contemplative, sophisticated judicial thriller. The moral/legal conundrum at the center hooked me and never let go. In this court of public appeal... a clear victory." ---Gregory Allen Howard, Screenwriter, Ali, Remember The Titans

"The Fifth Letter is a fine new addition to the field of legal fiction. But we've never had one like this before, because it's about judges, not lawyers, and not just any judges. The Fifth Letter takes us into the chambers of the Supreme Court and brings to vivid fictional life the men and women who in so many ways determine our national destiny. Vivian Carpenter gives us a fascinating view of how business gets done in the Court and on Capitol Hill while also delivering a novel of big political ideas, a riveting study of race in America, and a tale of buried secrets, lost loves, and page-turning suspense." --- William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Lost Constitution and The Lincoln Letter

About this title

About the Author

Vivian L. Carpenter is a writer, motivational speaker, and teacher. She holds three degrees from the University of Michigan: a BSE in industrial engineering and operations research, an MBA and a Ph.D. in business administration. As an academic, she has won several awards and grants for her scholarly work in institutional theory from the National Science Foundation, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Kellogg Foundation and Ford Foundation. As a business professional, she was Director of Academic Programs at FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) and served as chairperson of the board of MotorCity Casino in Detroit, Michigan. She lives in Tallahassee, Florida and Birmingham, Michigan.

Review

This is a great book, it held my interest from the first page to the last. Katherine Ross, the main character is the first African-American woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. She finds that this appointment brings her a lot more than deciding important court cases. In the beginning of her term, Congress passes a law that states that if a Supreme Court Justice becomes incapacitated or unable to do his/her job, the other Justices can start a process that could result in the removal of that Justice. Because of this new law, Katherine finds herself in a position of making a decision that could impact her life, and the history of the United States. The book is well researched ,and the author tells a good story, not only about Katherine, but of her family. --Amazon Customer Review

This is a great book, one that held my interest from page one to the end. It is really two stories, the story of Katherine Ross, a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, and her mother's story. I found both of them very interesting, as I work on family history. One of the things that set this book apart from others is the quality of the author's research. Although this is a work of fiction, Vivian Carpenter has a deep understanding of the workings of the Court and of Constitutional history. But the book is not a dry novel about the the court, it has plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader interested. The main character, Katherine Ross is brilliant lawyer, nominated to the Supreme Court. She is the first African-American woman on the Court, and interesting things begin to happen as soon as she takes office. One is the legislation proposed and passed by Congress that gives the Court a way to ask a member who is incapacitated and unable to do his/her job to resign. As a justice new to the Court, Katherine takes her job seriously, not realizing at first that there are people who are trying to use her to further their own agendas. She soon finds that Washington D.C. is a dangerous place for her. Katherine has a close relationship with her mother, who has a lot of secrets. I found her memoirs to be one of the most interesting parts of the book. Katherine's mother's background is Gullah, an African American group that lives in South Carolina. (I recently saw George Gershwin's opera, Porgy and Bess, where the all the major characters are Gullah people.) Katherine's mother is a complex person and the most sympathetic character in the book. Vivian Carpenter brings her knowledge of the Supreme Court, her knowledge of business and government as well as her knowledge of African-American history to this book. The result is a great read. --Goodreads Review

A must read. A very captivating story including major societal issues, historical twinge and family secrets, courage, love, revenge, discouragement, and exploitation. A few surprises and twists. An inspiring and hopeful ending. --Amazon Customer Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Supreme Communications Group, L.L.C.
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0692364536
• ISBN 13: 9780692364536
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432