Customer Reviews

Couldn't Keep It To Myself - Wally Lamb And The Women Of York Correctional Institution

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I must confess, I did not open this book without some bias. I volunteer at a prison and have a deep interest in women's issues, and after reading the other Amazon.com reviews, I was pretty sure I would love this book. (I was right.) What I didn't expect was a strong desire to share it with just about everyone I know. Don't get me wrong, this is no "Chicken Soup for the Soul" -- there are some hard stories in this book. But the writing is outstanding, and in reading each story I was captivated by the author's personality, struggles, hopes, and essential humanity. This book was, for me, a powerful aid to compassion and understanding. I recommend it highly.

First off, I was fascinated to hear a little recap of Wally Lamb's life. Just a flash, and not full of flash - but still interesting (especially to find how he came involved with female prisoners for this novel).

Lamb did an incredible job of telling the lives of these women who were not always prisoners. They were once little girls, awkward teenagers, young and old women. What I appreciate is that Lamb let these women tell their stories, which were quite interesting, without glorifying their crimes. In fact, their crimes are just a foot-note on the side.

You are left with no decisions on if they're victims or monsters, just their stories.

I am glad that I read this book as it gave me a bit of an insight to what life is like in prison for woman incarcerated at a maximum prison. This book certainly helped me to appreciate the freedoms that most of us take for granted on a much larger scale of understanding. I usually keep my reviews pretty short, but I have to add that these short stories these courageous women wrote in this book are very worth while reading and I learned quite a lot from these woman who were willing to share their lives with us. Being someone who worked at a maximum facility for men, I always wondered what the female experience in jail would be like, and I believe that this book gives you a pretty good idea. None of the incarcerated women make any excuses for their crimes, they accept full responsibility, and then give us a bio of their lives, as far as what may have led up to their crimes. Yes it was disturbing for me to read at times, but yet a book I just could not put down. What disturbed me was clearly hearing about how much violence these woman as children sadly grew up with, and how no one was there to help them, or assist them out of the nightmare of child abuse, and domestic violence. The beginning of the book is interesting as well as Wally Lamb talks about his life just a little bit and what led up to his other book, "She's Come Undone", which is another book if his I couldn't put down.

I became interested in this book after reading "I know this much is true" and "She's come undone". I was hesitant to buy it after reading that it was not written by Lamb but after reading some of the reviews I decided to take a chance on it. I finished the book in 2 days. I couldn't put it down.

The stories really are sometimes hard to hear, but it feels like something that needs to be heard. The stories in the book do humanize these writers who are criminals - but they are humans first - who have a story to tell. It isn't exactly the other side of the story - more like the background for the paths these women chose. It will make you think twice before passing judgement on a person without knowing their story. If you had had a different background or story would you have made the same choices?

I highly recommend this book.

I didn't realize that I wasn't getting a new Wally Lamb novel when I picked this up from the library, but after reading it I was not disappointed at all. This is a collection of short stories from women who have been sentenced to prison for various crimes. These are emotional and insightful stories from women who have suffered unspeakable abuse.

Each story stands on it's own, is well told and moving. I admire Wally Lamb for working with these women. And I see that he has another collection similar to this one due out September 2007. I will be reading that book as well.

I picked up this book after reading a friend's review. I'm glad I did, as I was glued to it immediately. Wally Lamb's work with these women is amazing, and the stories they shared are riveting. To be able to get into the mind of a convict and get the stories of hurt and pain, why they've commited their crimes, is something that should cause each of us to snap into a wider view of the world in which we live.

This is one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time, and it is one I will definitely recommend to friends.

Wally Lamb's, Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters, is an amazing display of how powerful writing can be. Wally Lamb tells about his experiences at the York Correctional Institution where he taught a number of women prisoners, who have committed various crimes, how to express themselves through their writing. Not only do you gain a number of insights from his story and how it changed him, but also in the writing of the women themselves included in his book. Each woman explains with emotion what they did to get to the institution, and what life is like for them there.
I would recommend this book to anyone who really enjoys reading, or is interested in knowing what life is truly like in institutions like the one Wally Lamb gained his experiences from. You will have a better understanding of the emotional lives these women lead, as well as have gained a number of insights like the ones Wally Lamb learned.

This book is an Excellent well written book which tells of women who have been mere victims of abuse, neglect, rejection and unexceptance. It reveals the trouble many incarserated women go through prior to their incarseration. The women are freed by providing descriptive accounts of their dramatic childhood. By writing their memiors, they're freed from the pain endured from their problems. I found that they were freed from behind the bars, yet many of us are free from bars but still behind them!

A Must Read Book!!!!

I read this captivating collection during me senor year of high school, and i wish that it would be on the required reading list. Coming from a very homogeneous school, it was enlightening to read about people with experiences so different from my own. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a dose of reality, or just a reason to further appreciate the blessings in their life.

The hard cover version of this book has been sitting on my shelf for 6 years. I bought it and had it signed by Wally Lamb at the National Book Festival in Washington DC in 2003. Every time I look at it, I think, I should read that book! Well, this morning, as I lay on my couch trying to recover from a cold, I picked it up and started reading. And I read the whole book today.
It was eye-opening, heart-breaking and thought-provoking. The stories are terrible, righteous and overwhelming. And at the end of the day, I can honestly say there is little that separates me from the women of York.
I intend to pass this book on to others with one message: When you read it, please learn that while most prisoners do crimes that put them where they are, that's not WHO they are. They are wounded, damaged, sometimes ill people who need the love, compassion and human kindness that we all need and deserve.
Thank you, Wally Lamb, for again enriching my life and my understanding of humankind.