03/04/2014

Orange is the New Black - Piper Kerman

Orange is the New Black - Piper Kerman 



Author: 


Piper Kerman

Published:


2010

Blurb on the Back:


With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years ago. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424—one of the millions of women who disappear "down the rabbit hole" of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behaviour and arbitrary rules, where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Orange Is the New Black offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison, why it is we lock so many away, and what happens to them when they're there.

Review:

This is one of the books on my 2014 reading challenge. 

If you bought this book because you like the TV series, turn back now. The true life story of Piper Kerman is nothing like the hit netflix series. There is no prison lesbian love affair between Piper and her ex-lover and no sex between guards and inmates. don't get me wrong you can see where the things in the TV series come from however they are not as dramatic as the TV would like you to believe.

What you do get is a story about a girl, who made some bad choices in her youth and ultimately paid the price for them. Pipers year in prison while not uneventful is more about the camaraderie and the bonding between the inmates as well as the hopelessness of the American justice system. 

Piper comes across as a well educated and likeable person, however, at times the book becomes preachy on the uneducated within the prison. Her relationships with the inmates are fascinating especially with the Russian Chef Pop but they sometimes come over as stereotypical characters especially with the emphasis at times on racial groupings.

Pipers Boyfriend (come FiancĂ©e) comes across exceptionally well being put in a very difficult situation and the support from him, Piper's family and friends is vital to her survival and the story.

The book is very well written and a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours, however remember it is nothing like the TV series.

8 out of 10.

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