A review by elametly_2787
Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean

5.0

After a longtime i completed this book without being able to keep down. First time for a non-fiction book. I wanted to see the movie 'Dead Man Walking' for a longtime and didn't know it was based on a non-fiction book. So when i saw this in a thrift store immediately bought it and started reading it. It wasn't preachy or full sentimental as i expected. I felt Sister Helen has written everything as it is without adding or exaggerating anything for melodrama. The reason why i couldn't keep this book down was the conflict about the capital punishment. How i could see from both murder victim families point of view and Sister Helen and Murderers(Now Deathrow inmates) point of view, it kept me glued and even till now i can't decide whether i'm against or supporting capital punishment. But this book places valid arguments about capital punishments, how it affects the people who has to prepare for this formal execution/killing of a person just because it was their job even if they are against capital punishment, victim families demand for justice via capital punishment, the various complexities in crime justice system and how the people sentenced with capital punishment are only the poor people who can't afford good defense lawyers, the politics which goes in background of the capital punishments etc. It had a religious and spiritual arguments also regarding the life and death and how both the peoples who supports capital punishment and the ones who are against it quotes from the bible from various chapters as per their requirements. It's a must read for anyone who wants to know about the capital punishments and how the justice system handles them.