I was hoping to learn so much more than I did about life on death row. I felt bogged down by all the minutiae pertaining to his legal battle. Though Mr. Hinton's story is certainly educational as well as inspirational, I wish the book would have given me more insight into what his life really was like. There were large time leaps where we got no notion of what was going on in that time.

After reading this book I just purchased a kindle book for each of my adult children. While I know it isn't subject matter that would normally appeal to them I asked them to take half an hour and give it a few chapters. Over the past several years I've become increasingly passionate about this issue. The book is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, a poor black man in Birmingham who was railroaded and wrongfully convicted of multiple homicides. Despite having an airtight alibi he was convicted and then the judge over-ruled the juries recommendation of life without parole and sentenced him to death in Alabama's electric chair! Hinton spent almost 30 years of his life locked up in a 5 x 7 cell with a death sentence hanging over his head, all for crimes he was absolutely innocent of. I can think of few things more horrifying. Recently, when I served on jury duty I answered the prosecutor's question that "yes, I am a fervent supporter of law enforcement, but you should also know that every month I send money to The Innocence Project." He sputtered a little and asked if I didn't see that as a conflict. I replied that not only do I not see a conflict, I feel it is my civic duty. Our justice system, despite it's intentions, doesn't always get it right. And when it doesn't there are precious few resources available to uncover and right the wrong. It's an adversarial system where all too often the search for truth and justice is overshadowed by personal ambition and the desire to win.  This is not only an important book, but also beautifully written. It's story is hard to read at times, but ultimately a story of triumph and hope. Please give it a look. And if you have an extra couple of bucks, The Innocence Project could sure put them to good use.

Most times my reading choices are not dictated by Oprah's suggestions for her book club, but in the case of this book, I made an exception when I saw Anthony Ray Hinton being interviewed on CBS This Morning. The man was articulate and compelling about his life on Death Row, all while having been innocent of the crimes for which he was sentenced. That he found innovative ways to survive his incarceration, including starting a book club among the inmates on the Row, just added to my choice to read this book. When the interview ended, I immediately ordered the book from Amazon. Although I didn't immediately start reading it after it arrived (I had other books ahead), once I dived in, I couldn't stop. Now about the book: Hinton had his life taken away from him just because of his race. With a justice system rigged against him, he was arrested for the murder of two men, convicted of the crimes, and sent to Death Row to be put to death. Railroaded by a justice system that include the prosecutor, judge, jury, and his court-appointed lawyer, despite the fact he was innocent, Hinton spent nearly thirty years in a 5X7 cell, trying everything within the legal system to overturn his conviction to free him. With the help of his strong faith, his mama, his best friend Lester, and the relentless lawyer and good friend, Bryan Stevenson, he hung on finding family and friends among his fellow inmates. Truly compelling reading, with heartbreaking sections that had this reader reaching for tissues. Truncated from the Afterword: "Statistically, one out of every ten men on the list (as of March 2017) is innocent. Read through the names. Each has a family, a story, a series of choices and events that have led to a life spent in a cage. Read their names. Do you know who is wrongfully convicted? Do you know who is innocent? Read their names. My name was once on this list. Just another name in a long list of names. Another person deemed irredeemable. The worst kind of cold-blooded killer that ever walked this earth." "Only it wasn't true." "Read the names out loud." "After every tenth name, say, 'Innocent.'" "Add your son or your daughter's name to the list. Add my name to the list. Add your own." "The death penalty is broken, and you are either part of the death squad or you are banging on the bars." (pages 243, 244) Then follows the names of all the people on Death Row from every state as of March 2017. It is sobering.

“My only crime was…being born black in Alabama.” “I wanted to know that somewhere, somehow, there was a place where the sun shined and death didn’t come for you at midnight and put a bag over your head.” “I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with—the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being.” “I was afraid every single day on death row. And I also found a way to find joy every single day. I learned that fear and joy are both a choice.” “I try not to ask, ‘Why me?’ That’s a selfish question. Why anyone? Why do we judge some people less worthy of justice? Why does innocence have a price?” This is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who served 28 years on death row for crimes he didn’t commit. It is infuriating, heartbreaking, and illuminating. Hinton tells his story with humor, humility, and wisdom. It’s tough to read but is filled with displays of extraordinary love, between Hinton and his faith-filled mother as well as his best friend, Lester, who never fails to make the weekly visit, year after year. In addition to shining a light on the horrific conditions of the prison system, Hinton shares about how he formed a family with the most unlikely men. He learned to escape into his imagination during traumatic experiences and realized he could give the others a taste of this sanctuary by starting a book club. Books had never been allowed on death row, but Hinton leveraged his rapport with the guards in order to make it happen. When Bryan Stevenson (whom Hinton refers to as “God’s best lawyer”) of “Just Mercy” enters into the story, everything changes. Hinton has the rare gift of making visible the worst of injustices while inspiring us to believe that reform is possible.