[Book Review]- Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman

Lately, I find myself increasingly drawn to reading memoirs. Case in point— the last book I reviewed was a memoir. I’ve always been interested in hearing people’s stories firsthand; be it, their own personal account of a significant event in their life, some good pieces of advice they’ve picked up, or just interesting observations about random topics. I just appreciate a good story. (Cool story, bro)

When I first heard about Orange Is The New Black, the original series on Netflix, I had no idea it was adapted from an actual memoir. Upon discovery, I immediately went out and picked it up (shocking, right?). I am a firm believer of reading the book before watching any on screen adaptations. 

The novel is based on ex-convict Piper Kerman’s experience during her 15-month prison term at a federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut. Her offense was a 10-year old drug trafficking charge, a one-off transgression that occurred during a youthful misadventure. It was a stressful and uncertain period in Piper’s life as a new college graduate, one that so many of us can relate to.

The most surprising aspect of this book is the respect and admiration that the author shows towards her fellow inmates. Never does she embody a holier than thou attitude. Instead, she wisely chooses to adapt to her surroundings by befriending her cellmates, (except the crazies) and avoiding conflict at all costs. She experiences many challenges along the way such as almost coming to blows with another inmate at the cafeteria salad bar and having to submit to a form of strip search aptly called the “squat and cough” before and after visitations. Slowly and begrudgingly we witness the author learning to accept the fact that all of the power and control she carried in her life outside prison walls, had been effectively relinquished once she became an inmate in the American prison system.  

In Orange Is The New Black, readers can expect a hilarious true story about love, detriment, camaraderie, infuriating circumstances and redemption. Shocking aspects of prison life are revealed along with important insight in to the out-of-control growth of prison populations in America.  It is the type of memoir that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.      

[Book Review] Sutton by J.R. Moehringer

Admittedly, before picking up this book I’d never heard of Willie “The Actor” Sutton or his illustrious career as a bank robber/prison escape artist. In fact, when I first saw this book in store and judged its cover, (lesson learned) I presumed it was a fictitious mystery novel based in London, England during the 1920’s. I was quite mistaken.

J.R. Moehringer does a fantastic job of recanting Sutton’s real, fact-based life story with his own distinct twist on events. He manages to provide the answer to the mystery of why an intelligent and charismatic hard worker such as Willie Sutton chose to transform himself in to a master thief who was just as skilled at robbing banks, as he was deft at breaking out of prisons. The only plausible answer could be love. First love.

This book had me loyally rooting for Willie “The Actor” who never fired a shot, yet cringing internally for the destruction left behind in the lives of those he loved. Despite the conflicted feelings, the ending of the book left me only with the feeling of remorse that it was over.

Kamaljit