Fans of women's basketball or those who follow social justice issues may already know the story of Maya Moore leaving basketball in 2019 to work on freeing a man wrongly convicted of a crime. They may even know that the two of them married after he was freed. Even if this is the case, this book is one that must be read in order to truly appreciate their stories. Here is my review of "Love and Justice."
Title/Author:
“Love and Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts” written and narrated by Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review: In 2019, WNBA all-star Maya Moore shocked the sports world by announcing she would step away from basketball to concentrate on other part of her life that were important to her – her faith and justice for a man that was wrongly imprisoned. That man, Jonathan Irons, was released from prison about a year later and the two of them were married. Their remarkable journey to come together from two very different sets of circumstances is shared in this wonderful book written by the two of them
I listened to the audiobook and that was a fantastic experience. Hearing their stories brought out many emotions – whether Maya’s road to becoming one of the greatest female basketball players of all time to the injustice of Jonathan’s conviction of a crime committed in an area where he was not located was time well spent. While a reader of the print or e-book may have the same experience, I felt that hearing their voices made their messages more powerful. This was especially true for Jonathan’s story of his conviction on incorrect eyewitness testimony and his means of surviving in prison, especially at the start when he was still a minor incarcerated with grown men.
Throughout the book, both Maya and Jonathan talk about their Christian faith and at times also quote Bible passages. They both give credit to the strength of their faith for helping achieve their goals, whether it is championships for Maya’s basketball teams or making it through another day in solitary confinement (“the hole”) for Jonathan. If nothing else, his strength and determination to prove his innocence should be an inspiration for all. That is not to discount the importance of Maya’s work or her love for Jonathan in this journey. But already knowing most of Maya’s story and learning about Jonathan’s brough me so much respect for that man that I believe he is a role model any man, of any race or creed, can look upon as a role model.
Many romance stories, especially those with a sports theme, tend to have a happily ever after ending. This one, that happened in real life, is certainly more satisfying and any reader of any genre will enjoy this.
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