The Chief Justice: A Novel

"The Chief Justice: A Novel" by Karl Emil Franzos is a story about Charles Victor, Baron von Sendlingen, a Chief Justice in Austria, who faces tough choices between what's right and what his family means to him. The book explores duty, family history, and fighting against what people expect. The story starts with Baron von Sendlingen finding out that the person on trial is actually his own daughter, Victorine Lippert. He feels lost because he must decide if he should follow the law or save his daughter from a severe punishment. This makes it hard for him to stick to his job as a judge because his family is involved. The story shows how hard it is to balance doing what's fair with taking care of the ones you love.