Publish Date: March 8, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
ISBN: 978 0385523394
With a career, a
boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless
young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at
the infamous federal correction facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the
well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424 – one of the millions
of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal
system. From her first strip search to
her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its
strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who
surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple
acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking,
hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the
lives of women in prison – why is it we lock so many away and what happens to
them when they’re there.
My Thoughts
Everyone is raving about the Netflix tv series Orange is the New Black and friends kept telling me that I have to start watching it. So I finally gave in and said that I would, but I needed to read the book first. Everyone's first reaction was "There is a book?" Yes there is a book. So instead of basing a review on comparing the tv show to the book I needed to do the opposite. After finishing the book I then watched the 2 seasons of the show in just a few sittings. While the tv show is solely for entertainment purposes the book is fact, and I enjoy that much more. Not saying I didn't enjoy the tv show, I just find it quite far fetched to what prison is actually like (although I can't say for sure having never been there.)
I really enjoyed Piper's story of having to fess up to a crime that she committed nearly 10 years ago and reading about how she dealt and coped with her ordeal. I found the "characters" she encountered while in prison quite entertaining and liked seeing prison through her eyes - from someone who you wouldn't think would land them self in prison.
Was it a memoir that tugged at my heart strings and left me wanting more? No, not at all. While I did enjoy the read it wasn't one that I probably would have read without encouragement. I felt like the ending was a little rushed and just abruptly ended and I would have liked to seen an afterward of where she is now.
My Rating: «««
The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor. I do this for the love of books.
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