Fighting Time

by Amy Banks MD, Isaac Knapper

The evening of April 12,1979 was clear and warm. Unaware of the danger lurking on the periphery of the French Quarter, Drs. Ronald Banks and John Hakola made a tragic decision – to walk the few blocks from the historic district to the Hyatt Regency. Inches from the safety of their hotel entrance they were accosted by two young men – a scuffle ensued, a shot fired, Dr. Banks lay dead on the sidewalk. Fighting Time tells the story of what happened next - hours, days, weeks and years after those horrible seconds. Isaac Knapper, a sixteen-year-old boy from a nearby housing project was wrongfully convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. As the time passed, Amy, Dr. Banks’s middle daughter and now a psychiatrist and trauma specialist, realized it was time to unpack her own family trauma. When Isaac was exonerated and released from prison, Amy traveled to New Orleans to meet the man wrongfully convicted of killing their father. FIGHTING TIME is the powerful true story of two families whose lives became entangled in a moment of trauma and is told with empathy, vulnerability, and grace.

Genres: Nonfiction

246 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2021

Reviews

[Lorna Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

We want to believe our Justice system is fair and just, but over and over again we see it is not.

[Tabetha Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is AMAZING. So easy to read yet so heart breaking to know the injustices that many in our American society face. Def recommend and worth a read!

[Harikleia Sirmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story! Narrated from two points of view: Amy’s and Isaac’s. The authors describe their emotions and scenes so well that I can picture the scenes in my mind, and I felt I was there too. The message of the book is clear: Life is unpredictable and justice is not always just. One moment you are a free man, and the next moment you are a convicted murderer.

Lots of themes for discussion: Athletes, sports, boxing, and baseball; teenage boys; criminal activity and violence; murder; shock, grief, and loss of a family member; traumatic abandonment; exoneration; police violence; post-traumatic stress; murder trials.

[Maddie Blyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Amy roughly a week ago, and am so grateful she shared a copy of Fighting Time with me. If I did not know her, her honest, brave, & vulnerable writing alone could produce the affinity I feel. Amy and Isaac share their experiences (of Isaac’s wrongful conviction in the murder of Amy’s father) and shine light on the complexity of human experience, the injustice baked into many systems, and the hope for healing through courage and connection. I saw myself reflected in their stories and also received a large, healthy dose of perspective. Flew through this.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read. Written by the daughter of a man who was murdered and by the man who was wrongfully imprisoned because of a corrupt system and injustice toward black people, it shows the effects of a crime and wrongful conviction on both sides. Written beautifully and very insightful.

[Ardean Miller-marbley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turner

I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Knapp at his boxing gym in New Orleans last week where him and his team trained my son. His story was so powerful when he relayed it to me in person and I couldn’t wait to read this book to learn more. Knapp is so genuine and I hate that he had to experience so much pain! But still he rise!

[margaret van peursem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful read

Emotional insight to people who have lived with tragedy A must read for all to understand how tragic events in a split second can shatter a life and the courageous way back

[Amy]

DNF. It just wasn’t getting anywhere in a hurry.

[Ruth Garcia-Corrales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting Time from Amy Banks and Isaac Knapper broke my heart. The authors definitely portrait the implications of events in the lives of their families. And how they are brought to surface after the assassination of the father of three kids. The effect after years and years of the act impress in the lives of those who were teenagers or a child at the moment repercussed to their adult lives. But what made me stick to reading it was the story of Isaac wrongly accused of the murder and sent to prison at the age of 16. He was treated as an adult and sent to the most dangerous prison in US, Angola. The surviving spirit of this young boy takes you to believe in the power of the human soul. He survives as a boxer. This real-life story is very powerful I can’t wait to watch the movie hopefully coming soon. Highly recommended to the reading clubs there so many strong discussion topics.