I interrupted my summer reading list to cry my way through (very quickly) The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (Oprah’s Book Club Summer 2018 Selection)
I read and recommend all types of books and sometimes I very strongly recommend books…a recent example is CIRCE...however there are some rare times when I so strongly want to recommend a book that I decide to GIVE ONE AWAY.
So today I have decided to set up a contest to give away a copy of this book by Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on Death Row as an innocent man. You may have seen it advertised as Oprah’s Summer selection. I glad it is her book club selection because I hope as many people as possible read this book.
(I will ship a book to the winner anywhere in the continental U.S. – see contest at the bottom of this post.)
SOAPBOX ALERT: I have LONG hated the death penalty. My overall reason is that is immoral. I don’t believe anyone has a right to kill anyone regardless of what they have done. Yes I agree that some people DESERVE the death penalty. But this (in my opinion) does not mean the government should be killing people. For what it is worth, my opinion on the matter does not even come from a religious place…to me it is just common sense of what is right and what is wrong. BUT BEYOND THAT for people who still think the death penalty is ok as a punishment, please know that it has long proven itself TO BE UNFAIR to people who have no money and people who are black. THIS BOOK IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS. This man was almost put to death because of his race and inability to pay lawyers.
But now I will stop my YELLING and tell you about the book. (sorry but not sorry this is an issue I have felt passionate about for decades.) If you disagree with me I actually hope you will enter my contest and read this book.
Anthony Ray Hinton admits he did some wrong. He stole some things (yes a car) and he did time in prison for that. Then he was turning his life around. Until he was accussed of multiple murders which were physically impossible for him to commit because he was locked in at his night job. Really this story is just unbelivable if it weren’t true!!
So he goes to DEATH ROW and at first it is horrible for him (obviously) and he is in a very dark place. But then he decides (these are my own words inserted here but it did remind me of Shawshank) to “get busy living or get busy dying.” And he makes the most of the situation. He helps other reform. He starts a book club on death row!! He makes a best friend who was previously in the KKK. There are so many emotional moments in this book that it had me balling my eyes out at the pool. He goes through seemingly endless appeals over 30 years, and it is so frustrating because the facts of the case are so obvious. This is just one man’s story but it inspiring (that he can rise above this) but also troubling (as to the state of our judicial system that could allow this to happen.)
So please enter my contest. Or buy this book and pass it along to someone else. Request it from the library. But please, read this book, especially if you disagree with what I was shouting about above.
ENTER HERE TO WIN A COPY: