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122nd out of 548 books
—
384 voters
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption
Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape, and eventually positively identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken-- but Jennifer's positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven years, Ronaldwas allowed to take a DNA t...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
March 3rd 2009
by St. Martin's Press
(first published January 1st 2009)
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This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. More importantly it has motivated me to get involved in some way. How I don't know. The other night for various and sundry reasons I did not believe something my 5 year old daughter was telling me. There was no way what she had told me could be true. She was very upset and I was mad she was lying. . Only to confirm Later that indeed she was telling the truth. There was much pain for the both of us. Me feeling horrible about not believing...more
Jennifer Thompson was a senior in college planning to get married when the unthinkable happened. One evening a man broke into her apartment and raped her at knifepoint. Jennifer memorized his face and her quick thinking allowed her to escape. She was able to come up with a composite drawing with the police and later was able to pick out Ronald Cotton in a lineup. Her testimony put him away in jail for a life sentence. A later re-trial would give Ronald two life sentences.
After eleven years Cotto...more
After eleven years Cotto...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I bought this book a couple years ago (after seeing the primary authors on an episode of "60 Minutes" and being moved by their story)...last night after unpacking several cartons of books and moving them onto our newly available bookshelves, I just picked this one and began reading. Wow!
An entirely true and very moving account of (as the subtitle says it) "injustice and redemption." The 60 Minutes report was largely a report on how eye-witness testimony is far FAR less reliable than we would th...more
An entirely true and very moving account of (as the subtitle says it) "injustice and redemption." The 60 Minutes report was largely a report on how eye-witness testimony is far FAR less reliable than we would th...more
Picking Cotton written by Jennifer Thompson- Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo, published in 2008 is a true story about a man who was wrongly accused of rape, breaking and entering, and many other charges on different occasions. This story explains how a man spent 11 years wasted in prison on a matter in which he was innocent. The author’s purpose was to create a moving emotional story in how two people can go from hating each other to the point where tears fall and then later on become...more
Jun 09, 2011
Lynn Tolson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
memoir,
sexual-abuse
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton is co-authored by a victim of rape and the man who was falsely accused of the crime, with the assistance of writer Erin Torneo. The format alternates from Jennifer’s to Ronald’s perspectives and the story reads like a documentary.
Picking Cotton opens with a “happily ever after” prologue that took decades to reach. The interim was an excruciating journey of mistakes and misery. Within the story,...more
Picking Cotton opens with a “happily ever after” prologue that took decades to reach. The interim was an excruciating journey of mistakes and misery. Within the story,...more
In 1984, Jennifer Thompson was asleep in her bed when a man broke in and raped her. She concentrated on his face, trying to notice every detail so she could help the police find him if she were able to get away. She did, and when the police showed her photos and put her in front of a line-up, she identified Ronald Cotton as her rapist. She was positive she had the right man. He was found guilty based on her eyewitness account, and sentenced to life in prison. Eleven years later, a DNA test showe...more
I first learned of Jennifer and Ronald's story about eight years ago when I head Jennifer speak at an anti-death penalty event.
Their story highlights the horrifying reality that eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.
Jennifer was a college student in 1984 when a knife-wielding man broke into her apartment and raped her. During the ordeal Jennifer worked hard to me...more
Their story highlights the horrifying reality that eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.
Jennifer was a college student in 1984 when a knife-wielding man broke into her apartment and raped her. During the ordeal Jennifer worked hard to me...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a memoir by two individuals, co-written. Jennifer Thompson-Cannino was brutally raped at knifepoint in college. She spent over half an hour inches away from her rapist, talking to him, interacting with him, carefully studying his face. She ran through the night to escape when she had a chance. She helped the police make a composite sketch. She picked a man out of a photo lineup, and then a man out of an in-person lineup, and went to trial twice to convict that man. (Ronald Cotton.)
Cotton...more
Cotton...more
The authors' friendship is improbable and compelling. In 1984 Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a stranger who broke into her apartment. She studied the man's face so she could describe him to the police. A tip based on the composite sketch led to Ronald Cotton, whom she identified in a lineup and in court. She was sure of her identification. But 11 years later, DNA testing confirmed his claim of innocence. Cotton was freed from prison.
The book vividly conveys the awfulness of the cri...more
The book vividly conveys the awfulness of the cri...more
Mar 11, 2012
Amy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
st-p-s-book-club,
2012-reading-list
I had just started working as an editorial clerk for the Burlington Times-News the summer Ronald Cotton was finally set free. I grew up 15 miles from the Brookwood Condos and was 7 at the time of the rape. So the book is a mix of "ooh, I remember that" and "heh, I don't remember that." The park that Ronald and Jennifer are in at the start of the book is in the neighborhood of my childhood home. So, that said, this book hits home.
I've seen with my own eyes the blatant racism found in Alamance Cou...more
I've seen with my own eyes the blatant racism found in Alamance Cou...more
I saw an interview with Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton on "60 Minutes" about a year ago, and the concept of their book fascinated me: a white woman misidentified her black rapist, sending an innocent man to prison for years. When DNA evidence exonerates him, they meet, he forgives her for her mistake, and they become close friends.
The book delves into a lot more of the darker emotions on both sides: the rage and fear that dominated both Cotton's and Thompson's lives before Cotton wa...more
The book delves into a lot more of the darker emotions on both sides: the rage and fear that dominated both Cotton's and Thompson's lives before Cotton wa...more
I am an attorney, and as an attorney you are taught to marshal the facts you have before you and organize them into a cogent argument for your position. That is what the prosecutor in this book did. However, this tunnel visioned manner of carrying out justice resulted in a man who was innocent being incarcerated for 11 years. This book is dually narrated by Ron Cotton, the man who was wrongfully incarcerated, and Jennifer Thompson, a woman who was raped and was certain that Cotton was the one wh...more
this story is told from the point of view of both Thompson-Cannino and Cotton (with most of Cotton's story taking place in prison). it's heartbreaking for both of them: Ronald being innocent and incarcerated (obviously) but also for Jennifer, as her life crumbles around her because of the way that she, as a rape victim is treated, even by the people closest to her. cliche as it sounds, it's really beautiful that she and Cotton were able to actually become friends after the whole ordeal, and the...more
this is written from the perspective of both jennifer and ronald. jennifer was raped while asleep in bed one night. she was a college student at the time and lived alone. her rapist broke into her apartment and she awoke to find him straddled on top of her. she managed to escape from him, but was traumatized for life. ronald cotton was a dishwasher at a local restaurant. he was riding a bike in the neighborhood at the time of the rape and the rest became a living hell for him.
jennifer identifie...more
jennifer identifie...more
Feb 14, 2010
Shannon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes true crime.
Recommended to Shannon by:
News & Observer
Shelves:
2010
I saw in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that this book was selected for the 2010 Summer Reading Program for the UNC's incoming freshman and transfer students. So, when I was in the library and saw it on the shelf not far away from our next book club selection, I though "why not?"
This is the story of a woman who was brutally raped while in college who mistakenly identified a man who subsequently was imprisoned for 11 years as her attacker. The man, Ronald Cotton, who was first convicted in J...more
This is the story of a woman who was brutally raped while in college who mistakenly identified a man who subsequently was imprisoned for 11 years as her attacker. The man, Ronald Cotton, who was first convicted in J...more
Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint in North Carolina when she was 22. She identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. She was wrong. DNA evidence exonerated Cotton after he had served 11 years. Following his release, the two transform their horrible bond, incredibly, into an affirmation of loving, human forgiveness.
Writer Erin Torneo tells Thompson and Cotton's stories as first-person narratives, largely from their own words. As a consequence, the writing sometimes lacks polish and a larger...more
Writer Erin Torneo tells Thompson and Cotton's stories as first-person narratives, largely from their own words. As a consequence, the writing sometimes lacks polish and a larger...more
Jan 30, 2011
Kristin (Kritters Ramblings)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
kritter-reviewed-2011,
books-i-own
Thank you to a blogger who recently reviewed this book, I am sorry I can't remember where I found it. A great read about a young woman who was burglarized and raped in the middle of the night in her college apartment. She went on to identify her attacker who was sentenced to life in prison. After 11 years, a simple DNA test set him free. Now the victim and accuser are friends, yep, crazy - but this makes the book a great read - to find out how it all happens.
When I read the review on the other b...more
When I read the review on the other b...more
Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton tell the story of how their lives became intertwined the day she picked him out of a lineup and identified him as the man who raped her. She hates him and hopes he dies in prison. He insists he did not commit the crime and proclaims his innocence through his trial and appeals process. He even identifies the man who raped Thompson, but little happens and Cotton spends eleven years in prison.
Cotton's case drew interest from lawyers at the University of...more
Cotton's case drew interest from lawyers at the University of...more
I’m fascinated by redemption, forgiveness, and the power of being ‘strong at the broken places,’ so Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo had me at hello, but it was the complicated shape-shifting of relationships in this story that burned this book into me.
Picking Cotton made me need to be a better person; just reading it allowed me a glimpse into hope.
Jennifer Thompson woke up to a man in her apartment; he raped...more
Picking Cotton made me need to be a better person; just reading it allowed me a glimpse into hope.
Jennifer Thompson woke up to a man in her apartment; he raped...more
I listened to this book on audio CD on my commutes to and from work. Was completely enthralled. From my work as a public defender, defending people accused in criminal cases, I already knew of the problem of false identifications. This story makes it indisputable that false ID really happens. People like Cotton play a role in answering questions to police when they are unsure of their answers. And the police played a subtle role in persuading certain witnesses to corroborate circumstantial facts...more
Read this book as a possible choice for a "UCLA Common Book" selection for all incoming students.
I was disappointed. The story is framed as being about the unreliability of memory and the power of forgiveness. A woman is raped and picks a man out of a lineup and is convinced throughout his trial that this is the man who raped her. After 13 (?) years in jail the man is exonerated on DNA evidence. The man holds no grudge and the two become friends. So on the one hand it's a sweet redemptive tale.
W...more
I was disappointed. The story is framed as being about the unreliability of memory and the power of forgiveness. A woman is raped and picks a man out of a lineup and is convinced throughout his trial that this is the man who raped her. After 13 (?) years in jail the man is exonerated on DNA evidence. The man holds no grudge and the two become friends. So on the one hand it's a sweet redemptive tale.
W...more
Jennifer is attacked and sexually assaulted in her own apartment late one night. Bravely fighting off her attacker, she later gives the police a good description of the assailant. From a police line-up, Jennifer mistakenly identifies Ron Cotton as her attacker. Charged and found guilty, Cotton is sent to prison.
In Picking Cotton, Ron and Jennifer tell their story from their own perspectives. Jennifer talks of the affects of the attack on her health, her family and her relationships. Ron talks ab...more
In Picking Cotton, Ron and Jennifer tell their story from their own perspectives. Jennifer talks of the affects of the attack on her health, her family and her relationships. Ron talks ab...more
First saw this story on 60 Minutes. I remember they did some kind of memory test to the reporter. It was something that you would think would be so easy, but she failed to remember whatever it was correctly. It was very fascinating, and scary to think that human memory is so fallible.
I thought the book was going to be a little more spiritual, since on the tv show, the Christian principles of forgiveness and loving your enemies were discussed briefly. They were discussed even more briefly here,...more
I thought the book was going to be a little more spiritual, since on the tv show, the Christian principles of forgiveness and loving your enemies were discussed briefly. They were discussed even more briefly here,...more
Picking Cotton
is the true story of how Jennifer Thompson-Cannino picked Ronald Cotton out of a line-up as the man who raped her. Cotton was convicted and spent 11 years in prison before DNA evidence showed he was innocent. Picking Cotton is told in Thompson-Cannino and Cotton's alternating voices, starting before the trial and leading up to their eventual friendship after Cotton was released. This is a compelling story, and the skilled writing does it justice. Even though I knew the ending, I...more
The first half of the book seems to plod along with stories from both Jennifer and Joseph. Since they shared their stories with a third party writer, the writing about each of their lives has the same tambre unfortunately. It's not convincing to read a non-fiction book where both characters dialogue sounds like they graduated with the same education and both lived in the same neighborhood when we know that Jennifer came from affluence and Joseph came from disadvantage. The second half of the boo...more
This is the story of an innocent man convicted of a rape he didn't commit and the woman who wrongly identified him in a lineup. The first third of the book is her story; the second third is his story; and the last part is the story of how his conviction was overturned and how they developed a close bond. He spent 11 years in jail until being freed by DNA evidence, despite the fact that he found out the identity of the guilty man within a few months. It's a heartbreaking and moving story, and it...more
I have to be honest, I originally had no interest in reading this book. It was assigned as my summer read and once I learned the authors would be speaking at my university in a couple of weeks I decided to pick it up. It was an inspiring and touching story but what really made the book for me was the fact that it was set in my home state of North Carolina. My humble Harnett County was even mentioned a few times. I also had no idea that this book had anything to do with Troy Davis, but it turns o...more
This is well-written and is really sucking me in. I can't believe how horrible this is for both of them: one was raped, the other wrongly convicted. Ultimately, though, it is a book of hope, and one well worth reading.
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| Best book ever! | 2 | 10 | Dec 08, 2011 09:54am |
Mar 25, 2012 02:05pm