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Unchained: A Caribbean Woman’s Journey Through Invasion, Incarceration and Liberation
It is said that you do not really know someone – including yourself – until that person encounters a profound crisis in life. This book is a remarkable first-person account of one woman’s survival and ultimate triumph over cruel conditions of USA-orchestrated imprisonment, character-assassination, and kangaroo justice. The reader is taken on an extraordinarily rich journey of Phyllis Coard's battles to survive her capture, isolation, psychological and physical torture. By the end of her sixteen-and-a-half years of incarceration, character assassination, judicial malpractice, and five years on death row, her increasing personal discoveries and insights lead to remarkable self-mastery.
300 pages, Paperback
Published February 10, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 4, 2019
I cried for Phyllis when she restrained her tears. I got mad at the prison officers when she concealed her anger. I had tears of joy when she had a call decades later from a young man she helped at the age of 12 who went out of his way let her know the positive impact she had on his life.
I got angry at women officers who tried to degrade her during her years of illegal incarceration (I witnessed this abuse of women prisoners years later in 2008 while visiting the prison during an HIV awareness program. Had I not witness this, I would never have imagine that women could treat each other so inhumanely)
I wanted blood - the blood of Maloney for his abuse of power, but reminded myself that Phyllis would not have wanted his blood.
Reading Unchained.. it brought home to me the Power of Propaganda - it can destroy a person, a country and its people. I have seen it during my years of travel as an NGO volunteer.
Difficult to imagine that judges could be bought so easily by the US (and others) The legal system was shameful. I am thinking that maybe these men and women who were put to try the 17 were maybe threatened and forced into doing what they did - follow the orders of a Terrorist country who killed those who won't follow their ideology. I found it strange that the only 'Decent' Guyanese Judge died suddenly after exposing the injustices...
The 'Churches' - shame on you when you could have done more to improve the lives of prisoners
Keith Mitchell went up in my estimation for wanting to "Free all of them'
Nicholas Brathwaite, A Gentleman, Mr. Courtney, May your souls rest in peace.
The world who saw the sham for what it was and continued in their fight to free the 17
I remember when working briefly at the Grenadian Voice Leslie Pierre's arguments for the freeing of the 17, and this was from a man who was imprisoned. We might not have always seen eye to eye on many topics but his arguments were analytical and made a lot of sense
How could our neighbours have wanted the 17 hanged based one person's lies - (he continues his mischief today and recently had to make a public apology for lying on a respected journalist) Were they so afraid of the US? Were they threatened with sanctions if they did not obey the Terrorists? Can they repent today? I am reminded of Bush's statement of Saddam Hussain during the illegal war on Iraq, "We will find him, try him and hang him" Was it the same in Grenada?
I admire Phyllis' resourcefulness and laughed when she made wine (I'll be trying that soon) Her attitude of forgiveness and helping those who needed her help in prison despite her dire, despicable, inhumane conditions. Her way of seeing her cancer not as a death sentence but a means of escape from the Hell Hole she lived in for so many years. The questions she asked herself for being in the situation she was in and how it might have been different...
I couldn't put this book down. I am still haunted by the mistreatment of prisoners. I rejoiced in her freedom, her ability to heal herself, the strength and love of her daughters in face of all the adversities to grow up without their parents to be such wonderful young women/role models.
And Bernard who was always a tower of strength.
Well written and a must read...
I got angry at women officers who tried to degrade her during her years of illegal incarceration (I witnessed this abuse of women prisoners years later in 2008 while visiting the prison during an HIV awareness program. Had I not witness this, I would never have imagine that women could treat each other so inhumanely)
I wanted blood - the blood of Maloney for his abuse of power, but reminded myself that Phyllis would not have wanted his blood.
Reading Unchained.. it brought home to me the Power of Propaganda - it can destroy a person, a country and its people. I have seen it during my years of travel as an NGO volunteer.
Difficult to imagine that judges could be bought so easily by the US (and others) The legal system was shameful. I am thinking that maybe these men and women who were put to try the 17 were maybe threatened and forced into doing what they did - follow the orders of a Terrorist country who killed those who won't follow their ideology. I found it strange that the only 'Decent' Guyanese Judge died suddenly after exposing the injustices...
The 'Churches' - shame on you when you could have done more to improve the lives of prisoners
Keith Mitchell went up in my estimation for wanting to "Free all of them'
Nicholas Brathwaite, A Gentleman, Mr. Courtney, May your souls rest in peace.
The world who saw the sham for what it was and continued in their fight to free the 17
I remember when working briefly at the Grenadian Voice Leslie Pierre's arguments for the freeing of the 17, and this was from a man who was imprisoned. We might not have always seen eye to eye on many topics but his arguments were analytical and made a lot of sense
How could our neighbours have wanted the 17 hanged based one person's lies - (he continues his mischief today and recently had to make a public apology for lying on a respected journalist) Were they so afraid of the US? Were they threatened with sanctions if they did not obey the Terrorists? Can they repent today? I am reminded of Bush's statement of Saddam Hussain during the illegal war on Iraq, "We will find him, try him and hang him" Was it the same in Grenada?
I admire Phyllis' resourcefulness and laughed when she made wine (I'll be trying that soon) Her attitude of forgiveness and helping those who needed her help in prison despite her dire, despicable, inhumane conditions. Her way of seeing her cancer not as a death sentence but a means of escape from the Hell Hole she lived in for so many years. The questions she asked herself for being in the situation she was in and how it might have been different...
I couldn't put this book down. I am still haunted by the mistreatment of prisoners. I rejoiced in her freedom, her ability to heal herself, the strength and love of her daughters in face of all the adversities to grow up without their parents to be such wonderful young women/role models.
And Bernard who was always a tower of strength.
Well written and a must read...
March 19, 2019
Unchained is a great title for this book because it tells the story of a political prisoner(as she was referred to) whose life was affected physically and psychologically during the time she spent in prison and was finally freed only because ..........It is a captivating story that keeps your curiosity alive because you want to know what is the next awful thing that has happened to her but in the end a dreadful health issue gave her a new lease on life.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews