W
William Landay
Defending Jacob
Synopsis
Defending Jacob follows Andy Barber, an assistant district attorney in a Massachusetts suburb, whose life is upended when his fourteen-year-old son Jacob is charged with murdering a classmate in a local park.
Convinced of his son's innocence, Andy takes charge of the case himself, even as evidence mounts and his own family history — including a father he has spent his life trying to escape — comes under scrutiny. Told partly through courtroom transcripts from a later grand jury proceeding, the novel unfolds as both a legal thriller and a portrait of a family unraveling under suspicion.
William Landay builds the story around questions of nature versus nurture, culminating in a twist that recontextualizes everything the reader has been told. The novel was adapted into a 2020 Apple TV+ limited series.
Genres
Characters
Andy BarberProtagonist
A Massachusetts assistant district attorney forced to defend his own son in a murder case.
Jacob BarberSupporting
Andy's 14-year-old son, accused of murdering his classmate Ben Rifkin.
Frequently asked questions
Is Defending Jacob based on a true story?
This novel is a work of pure fiction rather than a retelling of actual events. The author drew upon his professional background as a prosecutor to craft the legal and procedural details, but the specific narrative and characters were created for the book.
Is there a screen adaptation of this book?
An eight-part limited series adaptation was produced by Apple TV and released in 2020. It stars Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell in the lead roles.
