First published 2013
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter sits in his cell in 1967, convicted of triple murder by an all-white jury in Paterson, New Jersey. The black boxer knows he is innocent. John Artis, his young companion, shares his fate. Carter spends years gathering evidence to prove their innocence. Celebrities like Bob Dylan and Muhammad Ali rally to his cause. In 1976, Carter walks free pending a new trial. But the appeal fails. He returns to prison, devastated. Carter withdraws from human contact until a letter arrives from Lesra Martin, a teenager from Brooklyn's streets. Carter reluctantly agrees to meet the boy. Martin connects him with a mysterious group of Canadians willing to fight for his freedom. From his cell, Carter directs their legal battle while beginning his own inner transformation. His quest for justice becomes something larger than vindication in court.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, crime, biography-memoir, social-justice, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, underdog
Setting: Brooklyn, New Jersey, Paterson
Period: 1967, 1976
373 pages · Kindle Edition · Mariner Books
Content warnings: racism, violence