Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States [School & Library Binding]

Helen Prejean (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994 | ISBN-10: 0785753001 | ISBN-13: 978-0785753001

When Helen Prejean is invited to write to a prisoner on Death Row who brutally killed two teenagers, she has little idea how much it will change her life. Although she abhors his crime, she befriends one man as he faces the electric chair. Dead Man Walking is Helen Prejean's gripping true story, which formed the basis for a major motion picture event. As powerful an indictment of the death penalty as has ever been written, her book was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It would be difficult to find a more powerful and moving attack on capital punishment than this plea for its abolition by a nun, member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. Prejean was working with the poor in a New Orleans housing project in 1982 when she began corresponding with Patrick Sonnier, a convict on death row in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Before long, she had become his spiritual adviser and, while not condoning the crime of which he was convicted, spearheaded the unsuccessful attempt to have his sentence commuted. After Sonnier's execution, Prejean counseled Robert Willie, another condemned man, until he too went to the electric chair. Her well-publicized efforts on these men's behalf drew resentment from the victims' relatives, but she was sensitive to their continuing pain as well; she played a major role in setting up a victim assistance program in New Orleans. Yet Prejean remains an absolutist on the death penalty: "Killing by anyone, under any conditions, cannot be tolerated."
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Prejean, a Catholic nun, has written a moral indictment of capital punishment. This book is the result of her visits to two death-row inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary where she serves as a spiritual advisor. Although she documents the inequalities of the judicial system that has condemned these men, her main point is that if society is to inflict this extreme punishment, it should, itself, be perfect. Needless to say, it is not. Opponents of the death penalty will find reinforcement for their cause here. The general reader, however, will probably find the book too narrow in focus, too self-righteous. Prejean writes well, but her material will not attract the wide audience she wants. An optional purchase.
- Frances Sandiford, Green Haven Correctional Facility Lib., Stormville, N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• School & Library Binding: 288 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback Books: A Division of Sanval (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785753001
• ISBN-13: 978-0785753001
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,326,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awakening of the Conscience, September 29, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States (Paperback)

When I started reading this book some years ago, I was staunchly for the death penalty. On the other side, I was staunchly opposed. Such is the power and vibrancy of Helen Prejean's writing. She takes you inside the prison walls, inside the mind of the men who commit these desperate acts, the lives they've destroyed by these acts, and the long trek out of the dark night of evil. For some, the journey ends in forgiveness, for others in a hatred and an emptiness. This book will make this sort of crime and punishment real to anyone that reads it, and whatever opinion formed afterwards will be a better-informed one.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most inspiring books I have ever read!, January 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States (Paperback)

I am currently attending theological seminary, and the film "Dead Man Walking" inspired me to look into prison ministry. Helen Prejean's personal account of her work at Angola State Prison was even more inspiring than the film. I agree wholeheartedly with her theology that we must love even those who have done evil things, for every human being is a CHILD OF GOD. Jesus Christ called us to love one another, and Prejean firmly practices Christian love in what I believe to be its true sense: loving ALL human beings, regardless of their deeds. Prejean brought to light the corruption of our criminal justice system, and I was shocked but trustworthy of her data. As a first-year seminary student, I identified with her initial fear and uneasiness at entering a project about which she knew little, and I applaud her ability to befriend convicted rapists and murderers honestly, yet without condoning their crimes. I am a Protestant woman studying to become a minister, so in some ways my life will differ from Sister Helen's, but I can only pray for the strength to emulate her, and I thank her for her great inspiration.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, June 29, 2000

By 

David Segrove "DinA" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States (Paperback)

What makes this book so intense is that you know it's real. It is well written, descriptive without being overbearing and detatched enough to give you a fair perspective. The movie runs along similar lines as the book, except the method of execution, and the book delves into far more detail, as you would expect. Although an anti-death penalty activist, Helen Prejean has not written a anti-death penalty book. It's a straightforward narrative that draws the reader in and doesn't let go. She is a very talented lady and you feel a huge respect for what she does. Very compelling reading.