Customer Reviews

Couldn't Keep It To Myself: Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters

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I live about fifteen minutes from York and work at a halfway house for drug addicted women trying to get their lives back on track and many of our clients come from this prison...point being I obviously could not wait to read this book. I was not disappointed-it is uplifting and heartwrenching- it teaches compassion and shows these are women are HUMAN BEINGS not just criminals. I am glad Mr. Lamb started this writing program at the prison and that despite the efforts of some to shut it down it continues to thrive. For those who didn't like the book I can only say that you must have a very closed heart to not find any connection with any of these women...should we feel sorry for them, forgive their crimes? No-but should we be able to show some some compassion for those that may have had less than "wonderful" lives? Yes! Not everyone can have as horrible a life as some of these women and then simply pull themselves up by there bootstraps and live a "normal", happy, problem free life! Another reviewer said that it was like reading essays written by kids in grade school or some such nonesense...one must remember when reading this book most-although certainly not all-of the women who were contributers did not complete school and have not had much in the way of formal education-compassion for others is a beautiful quality-may this book help us all to cultivate that trait a bit more in our daily existence.

This is a gripping book.
These women have been to hell and back and recount their stories in a riveting way that keeps you turning the pages.
You can also feel and see Wally Lamb's style in the prose as he has helped these women bring their stories to life in such a brilliant way.

An excellent collection of stories written by women in prison. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and sad, not taking you into the criminal activity but the family life and childhood of these women. Well written and deeply felt, as only Wally Lamb can do with his books. Diana

This is a fantastic book. For women who are not authors by trade, they did a great job getting their stories across. And what stories they have to tell. This book makes you see beyond the bars. These women are people first, victims themselves second, and criminals third. There is humanity in correctional institutions, not just monsters as we would all like to believe.

I hated this book. Wally Lamb said at the beginning of this book that this was a group of women telling their stories and not making excuses for their behaviour. I found it to be the opposite. These women justified every single bad decision and bad act they committed and placed the blame on others. I was very disappointed in the book and in Wally Lamb. This struck me as yet another do gooder diatribe. I also agree that the writing is juvenile and, for the most part, uninteresting. I finally got so angry with these people, I put the book down.