Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

23 reviews

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Racism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

kayleeslibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

“If you have hope, you have everything.”

“The Sun Does Shine” tells the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent thirty years on death row in Alabama after being falsely convicted of murder. In 2015, Mr. Hinton was released with the help of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of “Just Mercy,” another heart-wrenching book I highly recommend. 

Ray Hinton highlights a social justice system that inherently works against the poor and against people of color. He reveals the simultaneous love and trauma in forging a family among men whose deaths he knew he’d witness and men who would kill him in the name of their jobs. 

Ray Hinton writes of waking up in the morning and making the choice to be hopeful and positive and to bring light into the places that he can. I wasn’t surprised that this story brought tears to my eyes. I expected that. But what did surprise me, in what I have come to see as true Ray Hinton fashion, is that this story made me laugh. From what he would spend his time day-dreaming about, to his banter with those around him, to his “even Scalia” comment, Ray Hinton weaves moments of laughter, joy, and growth into a story overwhelmed with despair, grief, and unfairness.

Anthony Ray Hinton is now an activist who speaks out against the death penalty. In his words, “The death penalty is broken, and you are either part of the Death Squad or you are banging on the bars.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Murder

courtney_g's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

I don’t like to give memoirs a rating, especially not something written in such a heavy and grueling focus. Anthony Ray Hinton was a real fighter in his life. He fought every single day of his 30 years behind bars, determined to get out alive and prove his innocence.

Even though I knew the eventual outcome of this story, Hinton’s recount of the events and his memories and the countless trials and rulings kept me on the edge of my seat. I also appreciate that, although he has a clear opinion in the death penalty, that was not the main focus in this memoir. His main focus, in my perception, was to show that you can persevere in the hardest of situations where truly all seems lost. 

This was a fantastically moving memoir. Everyone should read this at some point in their life, even if it is not the least relevant to their life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Violence, Death, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts

ashleycmms's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Racism

Moderate: Body horror and Confinement

triley's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Racism, and Confinement

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Gun violence, and Grief

Minor: Cancer

tindin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism

maria1085's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

“My only crime was being born black, or being born black in Alabama.”

Wow. This book is a must read. It’s a memoir of a man who spent almost 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. It’s emotional, raw, moving, powerful. It will make you angry, question the justice system, question your ideas on the death penalty, and be grateful for your freedom. 

The way he writes about his time in prison is both heartbreaking and humorous. The sheer fact that he kept his sense of humor through the whole time was incredible. He wrote about hope, forgiveness, and freedom even through experiencing the darkest days of his life. 

We read this for book club in April and we all loved this incredible story. I cannot recommend this book enough. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, and Murder

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

A really important read for anyone who feels like they're pro-death penalty. The justice system makes too many mistakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Death, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

kitty03's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

annapox's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the effects of systemic racism and/or classism on the US criminal justice system. Hinton's story is eye-opening, and the book is very well-written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit