Going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect about the stories from these men. I knew some of them would be hard to digest, as all of them turned out to be, but I did not anticipate the severity of the long lasting effects that each incident (or incidents) had on all of the men. Story after story, I felt the repetition in their lives. I noticed patterns and themes they all had in common: lack of a parental figure, traumatizing upbringing, sexual abuse, early encounters with (hard) drugs, etc.. I also found myself unable to relate to any of the experiences they wrote of. I could only visualize aspects of what I have seen portrayed in the media. What genuinely brought me back to reality was the ages of each of the men when they experienced such traumatic events. I read many things about trying drugs, having sex, etc., and the men would end it by saying “and I was only 10 years old,” or some age around that.

Another aspect of this novel that I’ve appreciated thus far is that we don’t know who is convicted of what. I don’t have preconceived notions of any of these men. I feel as though I am able to listen to their stories more intently without judgment. Personally, I cannot imagine being in a situation where I was constantly berated, left with no self-esteem, and just no one who believed in me.

Having the images of the men, and of Dr. Coogan on the back of the novel helped me visualize the conversations between everyone, especially in the prison chapel. I’m not done with the book, but I believe that everyone should read it, or something like it, in order to gain some insight on life in prison and the stigmas that surround prisoners.