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kittycat2302's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard to rate this book and not compare it to the TV show based off of this work. As a standalone, I believe it's worthy of 5 stars- but I do enjoy the TV series somewhat better, mostly because there is a lot more room to work in 3 seasons than there is in under 300 pages, and the television series does a nice job, mostly, of taking the sketches of different people Piper Kerman provides and making them more complete.
That said, the series also gets it wrong a LOT. Piper Kerman and Larry Smith are both annoying as hell in the show- and both seem to be good, solid, grounded people highly aware of their privilege from her own writing. Kerman does an excellent job in this of maintaining her focus- that she has but one year to do, and focusing on the less terrible parts of prison is what helps her- but she constantly keeps the fact that her sentence is exceptionally short at the forefront and consistently discusses the difference in that and the sentence many of her fellow prisoners are doing that are many times longer. She also does an excellent job of drawing attention to the fact that her sentence is for a crime that is 1) over a decade old, 2) non-violent and a one-time offence and 3) the exact same crime that landed women of color and poverty sentences 10 or more years long. Piper is acutely aware that her white, blonde, blue-eyed, middle class status makes her sentence shorter and her time served easier, and as a reader I appreciated that she used this platform to lift up the ways in which our prison system desperately needs reform without ever turning it into a rant or stuffing it down the reader's throats.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and it was great to see the real stories without the Hollywood embellishments.
That said, the series also gets it wrong a LOT. Piper Kerman and Larry Smith are both annoying as hell in the show- and both seem to be good, solid, grounded people highly aware of their privilege from her own writing. Kerman does an excellent job in this of maintaining her focus- that she has but one year to do, and focusing on the less terrible parts of prison is what helps her- but she constantly keeps the fact that her sentence is exceptionally short at the forefront and consistently discusses the difference in that and the sentence many of her fellow prisoners are doing that are many times longer. She also does an excellent job of drawing attention to the fact that her sentence is for a crime that is 1) over a decade old, 2) non-violent and a one-time offence and 3) the exact same crime that landed women of color and poverty sentences 10 or more years long. Piper is acutely aware that her white, blonde, blue-eyed, middle class status makes her sentence shorter and her time served easier, and as a reader I appreciated that she used this platform to lift up the ways in which our prison system desperately needs reform without ever turning it into a rant or stuffing it down the reader's throats.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and it was great to see the real stories without the Hollywood embellishments.
agrinczel's review against another edition
4.0
I was hesitant to listen to this for the longest time since I really HATE the Piper on the Netflix series, so I was happy to hear that the real Piper was someone I could actually like.
a_schwa's review against another edition
2.0
I just got into the show and decided to read the book. The show does a much better job of telling the stories of the other inmates, as through the lens of a white cis female, Kerman’s description of the other inmates at Danbury is condescending at best and transphobic at worst.
birdinflight1's review against another edition
4.0
What surprised me about this book was the total lack of drama. The Netflix series is filled with so much drama...drugs, murder, sex, extortion, violence...that I expected more drama in the book. The creators of the series had to have very vivid imaginations to create that show from this book.
What I liked about the book was the reality that when a bunch of women are thrown together for whatever reason, they generally support one another. Whether it’s college dorms or moms’ groups or the workplace or book clubs, women are amazing at offering each other support. I didn’t realize it would be the same in a women’s prison, but I was pleasantly surprised that this was her experience.
I was touched by the way the women took care of each other. From the welcome wagon to the birthday parties to the holiday celebrations, the women created meaningful rituals to help them through a terrible time.
I also appreciates that she recognizes her own privilege—she can afford a lawyer, she has a job and a home and a husband to return to she gets out, she is treated well by most of the staff because she is white and blond, she has a college education and knows how to earn money legally, and she has a tone of support from the outside world. She recognizes that this is not the case for most women in prison.
She also deals with big questions of prison’s purpose, such as how does locking someone up for so long and treating them without dignity help a person reflect and repent and rebuild their life?
What I liked about the book was the reality that when a bunch of women are thrown together for whatever reason, they generally support one another. Whether it’s college dorms or moms’ groups or the workplace or book clubs, women are amazing at offering each other support. I didn’t realize it would be the same in a women’s prison, but I was pleasantly surprised that this was her experience.
I was touched by the way the women took care of each other. From the welcome wagon to the birthday parties to the holiday celebrations, the women created meaningful rituals to help them through a terrible time.
I also appreciates that she recognizes her own privilege—she can afford a lawyer, she has a job and a home and a husband to return to she gets out, she is treated well by most of the staff because she is white and blond, she has a college education and knows how to earn money legally, and she has a tone of support from the outside world. She recognizes that this is not the case for most women in prison.
She also deals with big questions of prison’s purpose, such as how does locking someone up for so long and treating them without dignity help a person reflect and repent and rebuild their life?
gardner98's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
4.0
I enjoyed this book and the inside view it gave of women prisons in the United States. This book is a glaring reminder of how broken the prison system is in the US.
I also enjoyed this book for the women I was able to get to know by reading this book. A major rule in prison is to not ask other inmates what they are in for. As a reader you get to know the women for who they are, not just what they have done. It also is a reminder that we are all so much more than our worse days.
The show on Netflix is much more dramatized. The show maintains characters personalities, but not the storylines.
I also enjoyed this book for the women I was able to get to know by reading this book. A major rule in prison is to not ask other inmates what they are in for. As a reader you get to know the women for who they are, not just what they have done. It also is a reminder that we are all so much more than our worse days.
The show on Netflix is much more dramatized. The show maintains characters personalities, but not the storylines.
lucylivesinbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
gamerkiti's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably the only memoir I have ever read and truly enjoyed. just reading it has changed the way that I view my life. in all honesty (to kind of quote the show) we are no different than anyone in prison, we all do something illegal at least once in our life. the only difference? we didn't get caught. I will definitely be reading this again (probably before the end of the year even) and I have recommended it to anyone and everyone that I know. I am happy to have found this book especially since I have a BS in criminal justice and want to start doing more to help make the prison system better, even if it is just by donating books for the inmates to read. They may have made mistakes, but they are still human.