Among Women [Kindle Edition]

J. M. Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Trust is always the first thing to go, and the hardest thing to find.

Abandoned in New Orleans and left with $50 and the clothes on her back, after six weeks, Pearl believes she’s found a way to reclaim her life.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Arrested and jailed in the Orleans Parish Women’s Correctional Center without any way to reach the outside world, Pearl retreats into her own frantic thoughts until slowly the voices of her fellow prisoners reach past her fear.

No longer alone, Pearl begins to listen to their stories—stories that must be told. Through their tales Pearl finds her own voice, a source of strength and a way out.

Cover art by Aubrey Boneau & Michael Reighn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent use of language makes this quite vivid and so easy to place oneself in the middle of what's happening. Poor Pearl being hauled out of the car into that teeming circus of sideshow freaks." 


--Zan McD

"The psychic tension you present gives the story both weight and momentum. [T]he characters come off as very believable and haunting."  --Christian Piatt, Pulling the Goalie

"Bloody hell. It's off like a rocket! I like the notion of P being dumped with but 50 slaps. I thought of George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and how middle class folk love to read about slumming it."

--~R. J. Askew, Watching Swifts

"This is an epic piece, woven skilfully and laid out on a tapestry where setting and subject have been crafted wonderfully into an addictive read with colloquial and background descriptions. Well done!"
--Andrew Williams, Dark Disciple

From the Author

It has taken thirty years to get enough distance to be able to write this story and more starts and rewrites than I care to remember. This is partly my story, but also the story of the women who shared their lives and voices with me. Although the basis is fact, this is a fictional book and the names have been changed, all except for Betty, whose voice I still hear.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 479 KB
• Print Length: 232 pages
• Publisher: Creative Ink, LLC; 2nd edition (March 7, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004R9Q7K2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #434,878 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, insightful, well-written March 12, 2011

By MaryAnnReads

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Among Women" is a well-written, thoughtful book that will linger in your mind long after you've finished reading it. The characters are memorable. The writing is vivid and literary in tone.

Over the course of the novel, Pearl Caldwell, the main character, learns a great deal about herself and about the women she is thrown into contact with. The insights you will gain as you read will make you wonder about the people you meet in your own daily life. You will wonder what events in their lives brought them to this point.

There is also a mystery in Pearl's past that has come back to haunt her.

One of the things I like best is that J.M. Cornwell never talks down to the reader but assumes that you have a brain and can use it. "Among Women" is a really good book, one that will certainly reward the time you spend reading it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not satisfying July 24, 2011

By Susan Bishop

Format:Kindle Edition

I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it. This is a story of a woman who has had one rough stretch of luck and ends up in jail waiting several weeks before she even gets an arraignment. I'm not sure what the point of the book was and the ending left much to be desired. Too many questions were left unanswered. I wasn't crazy about the book while I was reading it but wanted to finish it since I was waiting for something to happen and the conflicts to be resolved. Neither of these occurred. This might be a book others might enjoy but I certainly didn't.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Meh August 1, 2011

By Mags

Format:Paperback

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This book started out well and had me intrigued but slowed down so much I then had trouble getting through it. I continued reading because I really did want to know how her story went but never got the answers I was looking for. It ended abruptly, I'm assuming there is a sequel planned.
The author is good about fleshing out the characters so you get some of the back story and can picture them while feeling what they're going through in this prison. There but for the grace of God...

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed July 13, 2011

By Sharee Hebert

Format:Paperback

Among Women wasn't one of my favorite books. It was a slow read, and I never felt like I got to know the main character in detail. She seemed very flat. A lot of details were alluded to, and then never expanded on, which was frustrating to me as a reader. The whole reason she was arrested was not really addressed until the end of the book. Then the book just ended very abruptly, but felt like it was meant to lead into a sequel. It was very disappointing, and made the book shallower than it really should have been.

Some if the content was very graphic, so beware if you are sensitive about rape.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for my review. Otherwise, it would be a book I wouldn't have wanted to pay for.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good August 15, 2011

By Jnnylee

Format:Kindle Edition

I was given a complimentary book in exchange for my review.

I found the book intriguing but the ending disappointing.

The main character, Pearl, ends up in jail and during her time there she meets a lot of interesting women. I found the stories of the other women compelling and kept my attention . Pearl's story was never really discussed, a few details were touched upon but I was left with several unanswered questions. I kept hoping that the book would end with her story being explained but it never did and I found that frustrating.

I would have preferred the book to have an ending and not have to anticipate a sequel to answer my questions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Among Women April 9, 2012

By LAL

Format:Kindle Edition

I received a complimentary review copy of this book.
I tend to read as a form of relaxation or retreat from the everyday world. This was a good book, but the harsh realities portrayed made it difficult to relax while reading it. Despite the fact that it wasn't my normal type of read, it was a very interesting book. To think that these things really happen in a country that values freedom and claims that people are innocent until proven guilty is haunting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Ok July 27, 2011

By Jen

Format:Kindle Edition

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

The book started off a little slow for me. I don't generally read a lot of fiction, so I kept reading to give it a chance.

Once the main character was in prison, the story did become more interesting, but the reason Pearl was in prison was never really explained very well. Most of the pertinent information about Pearl was vaguely alluded to in bits and pieces. Like another reviewer mentioned, the story just ended abruptly leaving a lot more questions than answers and seemed to set up for a sequel.

All in all, it was an OK read, but the writing and character development seemed a little amateurish.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not great July 12, 2011

By Lora

Format:Kindle Edition

I was given this free complimentary book in exchange for a review. This book started off good. Then it slowed way down to the point where I wasn't sure if I wanted to finish it. I kept reading and it picked back up and was a little more interesting. The book seemed to ebb and flow in keeping my interest. Overall, it was interesting but I just didn't find it as good as other reviewers. I never did find out why the main character was in the situation she was in, that somehow was just left out that I could see. The author did a good job of developing the characters and their histories and lives before incarceration. A few editing errors scattered throughout the book.

More About the Author

J. M. Cornwell is a frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort anthologies whose novel, "Past Imperfect", debuted July 2009. When writing about family foibles, relationships, writing, books and flights of fancy, she contributes to http://www.redroom.com/members/fixnwrtr and may be emailed at [e-mail]. The most recent novel is "Among Women" about a young woman who is abandoned in New Orleans and jailed on a false charge.

Ms. Cornwell lives in Colorado in the shadow of Pikes Peak.