Most times my reading choices are not dictated by Oprah's suggestions for her book club, but in the case of this book, I made an exception when I saw Anthony Ray Hinton being interviewed on CBS This Morning.
The man was articulate and compelling about his life on Death Row, all while having been innocent of the crimes for which he was sentenced. That he found innovative ways to survive his incarceration, including starting a book club among the inmates on the Row, just added to my choice to read this book. When the interview ended, I immediately ordered the book from Amazon. Although I didn't immediately start reading it after it arrived (I had other books ahead), once I dived in, I couldn't stop.
Now about the book:
Hinton had his life taken away from him just because of his race. With a justice system rigged against him, he was arrested for the murder of two men, convicted of the crimes, and sent to Death Row to be put to death. Railroaded by a justice system that include the prosecutor, judge, jury, and his court-appointed lawyer, despite the fact he was innocent, Hinton spent nearly thirty years in a 5X7 cell, trying everything within the legal system to overturn his conviction to free him. With the help of his strong faith, his mama, his best friend Lester, and the relentless lawyer and good friend, Bryan Stevenson, he hung on finding family and friends among his fellow inmates.
Truly compelling reading, with heartbreaking sections that had this reader reaching for tissues.
Truncated from the Afterword: "Statistically, one out of every ten men on the list (as of March 2017) is innocent. Read through the names. Each has a family, a story, a series of choices and events that have led to a life spent in a cage. Read their names. Do you know who is wrongfully convicted? Do you know who is innocent? Read their names. My name was once on this list. Just another name in a long list of names. Another person deemed irredeemable. The worst kind of cold-blooded killer that ever walked this earth."
"Only it wasn't true."
"Read the names out loud."
"After every tenth name, say, 'Innocent.'"
"Add your son or your daughter's name to the list. Add my name to the list. Add your own."
"The death penalty is broken, and you are either part of the death squad or you are banging on the bars." (pages 243, 244)
Then follows the names of all the people on Death Row from every state as of March 2017. It is sobering.
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Powerful, heartbreaking but hopeful must-read
“My only crime was…being born black in Alabama.”“I wanted to know that somewhere, somehow, there was a place where the sun shined and death didn’t come for you at midnight and put a bag over your head.”“I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with—the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being.”“I was afraid every single day on death row. And I also found a way to find joy every single day. I learned that fear and joy are both a choice.”“I try not to ask, ‘Why me?’ That’s a selfish question. Why anyone? Why do we judge some people less worthy of justice? Why does innocence have a price?”This is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who served 28 years on death row for crimes he didn’t commit. It is infuriating, heartbreaking, and illuminating.Hinton tells his story with humor, humility, and wisdom. It’s tough to read but is filled with displays of extraordinary love, between Hinton and his faith-filled mother as well as his best friend, Lester, who never fails to make the weekly visit, year after year.In addition to shining a light on the horrific conditions of the prison system, Hinton shares about how he formed a family with the most unlikely men. He learned to escape into his imagination during traumatic experiences and realized he could give the others a taste of this sanctuary by starting a book club. Books had never been allowed on death row, but Hinton leveraged his rapport with the guards in order to make it happen.When Bryan Stevenson (whom Hinton refers to as “God’s best lawyer”) of “Just Mercy” enters into the story, everything changes. Hinton has the rare gift of making visible the worst of injustices while inspiring us to believe that reform is possible.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
“I wanted to know that somewhere, somehow, there was a place where the sun shined and death didn’t come for you at midnight and put a bag over your head.”
“I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with—the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being.”
“I was afraid every single day on death row. And I also found a way to find joy every single day. I learned that fear and joy are both a choice.”
“I try not to ask, ‘Why me?’ That’s a selfish question. Why anyone? Why do we judge some people less worthy of justice? Why does innocence have a price?”
This is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who served 28 years on death row for crimes he didn’t commit. It is infuriating, heartbreaking, and illuminating.
Hinton tells his story with humor, humility, and wisdom. It’s tough to read but is filled with displays of extraordinary love, between Hinton and his faith-filled mother as well as his best friend, Lester, who never fails to make the weekly visit, year after year.
In addition to shining a light on the horrific conditions of the prison system, Hinton shares about how he formed a family with the most unlikely men. He learned to escape into his imagination during traumatic experiences and realized he could give the others a taste of this sanctuary by starting a book club. Books had never been allowed on death row, but Hinton leveraged his rapport with the guards in order to make it happen.
When Bryan Stevenson (whom Hinton refers to as “God’s best lawyer”) of “Just Mercy” enters into the story, everything changes. Hinton has the rare gift of making visible the worst of injustices while inspiring us to believe that reform is possible.
Powerful, heartbreaking but hopeful must-read
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
“My only crime was…being born black in Alabama.”Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
“I wanted to know that somewhere, somehow, there was a place where the sun shined and death didn’t come for you at midnight and put a bag over your head.”
“I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with—the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being.”
“I was afraid every single day on death row. And I also found a way to find joy every single day. I learned that fear and joy are both a choice.”
“I try not to ask, ‘Why me?’ That’s a selfish question. Why anyone? Why do we judge some people less worthy of justice? Why does innocence have a price?”
This is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who served 28 years on death row for crimes he didn’t commit. It is infuriating, heartbreaking, and illuminating.
Hinton tells his story with humor, humility, and wisdom. It’s tough to read but is filled with displays of extraordinary love, between Hinton and his faith-filled mother as well as his best friend, Lester, who never fails to make the weekly visit, year after year.
In addition to shining a light on the horrific conditions of the prison system, Hinton shares about how he formed a family with the most unlikely men. He learned to escape into his imagination during traumatic experiences and realized he could give the others a taste of this sanctuary by starting a book club. Books had never been allowed on death row, but Hinton leveraged his rapport with the guards in order to make it happen.
When Bryan Stevenson (whom Hinton refers to as “God’s best lawyer”) of “Just Mercy” enters into the story, everything changes. Hinton has the rare gift of making visible the worst of injustices while inspiring us to believe that reform is possible.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
Linda Wentum
Inspiring and Amazing Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2024