by Piper Kerman
First published 2011
Piper Kerman faces the consequences when federal authorities arrest her for drug trafficking from her past. A judge sentences her to fifteen months in federal prison. Kerman enters an institution governed by rigid regulations and populated by diverse inmates. She endures degrading intake procedures including strip searches. Kerman learns to survive within the prison system's constraints. She builds relationships with other incarcerated women. The experience forces her to confront her choices and discover inner strength. Kerman documents her journey from arrival through release, revealing how incarceration strips away external comforts while sometimes fostering unexpected connections. Her memoir shows how prison changes people and exposes the realities of the American correctional system.
Genres: biography, social-issues, memoir, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, personal-growth
Setting: Connecticut, Danbury
559 pages · Paperback · Large Print Press