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Title: Couldn't Keep It to Myself : Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters by Wally Lamb ISBN: 0-06-053429-X Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (29 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting but..
Comment: The book held my attention for the most part and I had it finished in 2 days. I have mixed emotions, however. My curiosity about the reality of prison life is what made me buy this book. This book portrayed prison life as a lot LESS harsh than I had imagined. In this book the prison seemed like a social club for wayward women. Being in prison seemed to actually improve the lives of some of them who had been used to harsh street life, abuse and a daily battle with society but now have three warm meals a day, shelter, clothing, social time, schooling and no responsibilities.
Nothing surprised me concerning the lives of these women. What happened to them was pretty typical in stories you hear of women in the system..child abuse both sexually and physically, neglect, lack of security, no financial stability, etc, etc. I found some of the stories to be monotonous because of this and got tired of how nearly every story went from their childhood to adulthood, childhood to adulthood..back and forth, back and forth..each one so similar. The stories..in my opinion...were very predictable and it doesn't help that you don't know why, specifically, some of these woman are in prison. You hear what drove them there socially and psychologically, but not the exact crime they committed..understandably hidden in some cases because of laws that have to be kept concerning writing about crimes, but these type of stories needed more of that information so you weren't left hanging. It doesn't tie together and flow..you are suddenly jerked to a stop at the end of each story wondering what on earth this person had done to land in jail. A brief excerpt at the end of each woman's story stated matter-of-factly why they were there but the story itself doesn't lead up to each crime..you don't understand what's going on. I kept reading partly because I thought it would pick up my interest the further I delved but that didn't happen. Sure, it has a few touching stories but I wasn't that impressed as a whole.
One thing that really bothered me is how nearly every woman was sexually abused as a child but it was almost spoken of lightly..the abuser wasn't turned in...nothing was done..almost like it's an accepted fact and a part of life. I found it deplorable that it was spoken of so generally and almost in an acceptable manner. All in all to sum it up in one sentence: it was a background on a bunch of women who had hard lives, like millions of us, but they went over the edge.
Rating: 1
Summary: Couldn't Keep It To Myself
Comment: Love Wally lamb...Hated this book! The intro was good (because it was written by Lamb) but the rest of the book read like a junior high school writting class project. I know Lamb wanted to dispel any rumors that prison is a fun place to spend a relaxing 10-12 but I believe he accomplished that in the intro without dragging us through chapter after chapter of abuse. (ours and theirs)
Sorry, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wally Lamb brings us the gift of powerful voices.
Comment: The writer's job is "to turn the unspeakable into words--not just into any words, but if we can, nto rhythm and blues"- Anne Lamott.
In this somewhat controversial collection of stories, the authors have fulfilled the mission that Lamott sets for writers, above. Wally Lamb, prize-winning "Oprah" author of "I Know This Much Is True" and "She's Come Undone" has acted as teacher, mentor and inspirational leader at a writing workshop in a women's prison in Connecticut. He's compiled an anthology of stories from 10 incarcerated in prison, and a woman who teaches in the prison. To say that the collection is stunning is an understatement.
Wanting to keep in tune with Connecticut's "Son of Sam" law, that does not allow writers to profit from writing about their crimes, Lamb successfully keep their focus on the tales of their early lives, and each woman's coming face to face with what she did and what her life will be like in prison. There are no sad-sack, pity me stories here. What you will learn is that there are painful incidents in these women's childhoods, that they are finally able to face on paper. They hold themselves accountable for what they've done, and they use their craft to provide not only their own inspiration, but inspirational thoughts for women everywhere.
"Orbiting Izzy" - one of two stories from former inmate Nancy Whitely is the piece that sold the idea to Lamb's publisher. Whitely may have the freshest voice of all the authors represented, but you will find evocative moments in each woman's tale. Following the story, there is an information piece about each author, and it is astounding that these women have all found not only their voices, but their hopes for the future in all of the accomplishments they've made while incarcerated.
This collection is not to be missed by anyone who has struggled to find themselves as an adult-- it is a gift of faith and humility for us all.
From author Brenda Medina:
"Beyond the steel door, there's a mourning
Grief for misplaced innocence....
Past the bright light, there's a longing
One that will not go away ..."
The collage cover of the book was also made by inmates as replicas of the Mona Lisa. It is a testament to women who's lives were shattered, coming together to make a perfect illustration of the wondrous words inside this book.
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Title: Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ISBN: 0684863871 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb ISBN: 0060987561 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 06 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: SHE'S COME UNDONE by Wally Lamb ISBN: 0671021001 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Only Girl in the Car : A Memoir by Kathy Dobie ISBN: 0385318804 Publisher: Dial Pr Pub. Date: 04 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Lucky: A Memoir by Alice Sebold ISBN: 0316096199 Publisher: Back Bay Books Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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