Scan barcode
alatinaandherbooks's review against another edition
1.0
At first it's kind of interesting and then it's just really freaking boring. Small unimportant daily events that happen in one woman's life. I solely wanted to read it so I could watch the show but now I'm not sure I want to watch the show this book was such a drag. Basically a typical white person takes something millions of minorites experience daily are actually afraid of but must do to survive and turns it into a fun adventurous time in her life makes it almost sounds dreamy then goes to prison once again something tons of minorites experience but she figured out a way to cash in on it but had any one of the other ppl in this book turned around and wrote a book it wouldn't have gained at traction but bc she is white and privileged, here's a book deal and a netflix show ✍️
amelianaire's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a huge fan of the show, and loved reliving it (in a G-rated version) in the book. Such a fascinating story, and I really enjoyed the author's writing style.
jgraydee's review against another edition
5.0
This book is hands down much better than the television series. Written with humor and insight that I did not expect.
khornstein1's review against another edition
5.0
"And what kind of gang is this that can make such music? Just twelve mortal men, seven of them black and five of them white boys from this county. Just twelve mortal men who are together."
- from Carson McCuller’s The Ballad of the Sad Café
This book is fantastic, one of the best memoirs I have read, after having seen the series on Netflix.
Piper Kerman maintains a delicate balance between a serious examination of prison life, brilliant character studies, and art in her description of life in prison. I was particularly impressed that rather than harping on the ridiculousness of her being in prison, she readily admits that she did indeed do something wrong, takes responsibility for it and writes about how she serves her time, sees herself as an equal--and more than an equal--a friend to the women she meets in prison.
Kerman writes artfully about the passing of the seasons in Danbury prison, the depressing surroundings of the MCC in Chicago, and her bliss upon being released. But more than this, she writes about her ability to connect with almost everyone she meets in prison, defying her ideas about stoicism and demonstrating how friendship can erupt between the most unlikely of people under the right circumstances--and she is hilarious when doing so.
My only complaint is that there are so many characters who come and go in the book, it is hard to keep track of them all--but that sounds like how life may be in prison--lots of coming and going, and friendships made in two minutes over contraband deviled eggs. Highly recommended and a good reminder of just how much reform our correctional system needs.
- from Carson McCuller’s The Ballad of the Sad Café
This book is fantastic, one of the best memoirs I have read, after having seen the series on Netflix.
Piper Kerman maintains a delicate balance between a serious examination of prison life, brilliant character studies, and art in her description of life in prison. I was particularly impressed that rather than harping on the ridiculousness of her being in prison, she readily admits that she did indeed do something wrong, takes responsibility for it and writes about how she serves her time, sees herself as an equal--and more than an equal--a friend to the women she meets in prison.
Kerman writes artfully about the passing of the seasons in Danbury prison, the depressing surroundings of the MCC in Chicago, and her bliss upon being released. But more than this, she writes about her ability to connect with almost everyone she meets in prison, defying her ideas about stoicism and demonstrating how friendship can erupt between the most unlikely of people under the right circumstances--and she is hilarious when doing so.
My only complaint is that there are so many characters who come and go in the book, it is hard to keep track of them all--but that sounds like how life may be in prison--lots of coming and going, and friendships made in two minutes over contraband deviled eggs. Highly recommended and a good reminder of just how much reform our correctional system needs.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I've never seen the TV series, but it is the reason I read this. My husband is a big fan and I was interested enough to want to know the 'true' story of a woman's incarceration.
If you are wanting to read it, expecting the same characters and plots as the TV show, be ready to be disappointed. As my other half tells me, none of that is in the book.
Which was fine by me. I found this pretty fascinating anyway - a story of Piper's youthful misadventures, illegal drugs experiences leading her a decade later to self-surrender and to spend a year and a half in her thirties in a women's prison.
She's not your typical prisoner, which is probably why I found it so interesting - a loving fiancee waiting for her, books delivered to her regularly - could be me, could be people I know. This boiled down to: this could be me if I'd made a stupid mistake. How would I cope? What would I experience?
A supporting cast of colourful inmates and guards surround Piper as she at first keeps her head down and later learns to trust and value friendship in prison. Being a UK resident as well, seeing the inside of America's prisons was also enlightening. Their job programmes, the 'cliques', food, shops, facilities.
This audio version accompanied me on several jogs. Though I occasionally realised I was forgetting who was who in the prison, I really enjoyed listening to Piper's account of her incarceration, how she is treated, the unceremonious end to it all, her gradual realisation of the gravity of her crime and how it affected other people.
Honest and an entertaining read. Just not the TV show.
I've never seen the TV series, but it is the reason I read this. My husband is a big fan and I was interested enough to want to know the 'true' story of a woman's incarceration.
If you are wanting to read it, expecting the same characters and plots as the TV show, be ready to be disappointed. As my other half tells me, none of that is in the book.
Which was fine by me. I found this pretty fascinating anyway - a story of Piper's youthful misadventures, illegal drugs experiences leading her a decade later to self-surrender and to spend a year and a half in her thirties in a women's prison.
She's not your typical prisoner, which is probably why I found it so interesting - a loving fiancee waiting for her, books delivered to her regularly - could be me, could be people I know. This boiled down to: this could be me if I'd made a stupid mistake. How would I cope? What would I experience?
A supporting cast of colourful inmates and guards surround Piper as she at first keeps her head down and later learns to trust and value friendship in prison. Being a UK resident as well, seeing the inside of America's prisons was also enlightening. Their job programmes, the 'cliques', food, shops, facilities.
This audio version accompanied me on several jogs. Though I occasionally realised I was forgetting who was who in the prison, I really enjoyed listening to Piper's account of her incarceration, how she is treated, the unceremonious end to it all, her gradual realisation of the gravity of her crime and how it affected other people.
Honest and an entertaining read. Just not the TV show.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the book quite a bit. If you're looking for the sort of drama that happens on the show, you're not going to get it. But if you're interested in knowing what life is like, day to day, at a women's minimum security prison, this is your book.
The characters are interesting - many are recognizable for you fans of the Netflix show - but have very little depth. Piper doesn't have much depth, either, but I found the stories and inmates interesting and enjoyable, to be sure.
The characters are interesting - many are recognizable for you fans of the Netflix show - but have very little depth. Piper doesn't have much depth, either, but I found the stories and inmates interesting and enjoyable, to be sure.
envy4's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this via audiobook! I found myself laughing out loud and very much enjoyed this book. I have already watched most of the show so it was no surprise when I listened to stories about what I already saw on the show.