Let me confess: I really enjoy reading and watching movies about prison. There is a strange sense of awe and wonder and intrigue about prison culture. Ever since I went to a minimum security women's prison as an undergrad, I've had this odd fascination.
So when I saw that this was on a best seller list, I picked it up quickly. It was not at all what I expected and that was a good thing. Most prison books I've read or movies I've seen are meant to shock and awe you as the reader/watcher. You are meant to feel sickened and creeped out. This was not that kind of a book.
It wasn't an expose' on how depraved prisoners are. Prison (at least Kerman's experience) was not as perverted as you think it will be. I kept waiting for the rape scene and I was thrilled that it didn't happen. While some prisons are terrible and dangerous places, I love that she gives a kinder and more gentle portrayal of her fellow inmates. It was really an expose' on how poorly they are treated and how the system doesn't prepare them for life outside of prison.
It was a good book and well written. I liked it and would recommend it - particularly for book clubs as it would illicit great discussion of the justice system.
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