Orange Is the New Black in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jul 04, 2020 Colleen Scidmore rated it really liked it

Shelves: currently-on-my-computer

So we’ve all heard of the series on Netflix (unless you’re living under a rock) and I’ve even watched several seasons myself but I’ve always wanted to read Piper’s story to see if really what happened was even close to the show. So I thought I’d give it a read..actually a listen since I checked out the audiobook..lol
The basics were the same but the show definitely had a lot more drama of course.
Things like the incident with Red in the kitchen was really just Red giving her a piece of her mind an So we’ve all heard of the series on Netflix (unless you’re living under a rock) and I’ve even watched several seasons myself but I’ve always wanted to read Piper’s story to see if really what happened was even close to the show. So I thought I’d give it a read..actually a listen since I checked out the audiobook..lol
The basics were the same but the show definitely had a lot more drama of course.
Things like the incident with Red in the kitchen was really just Red giving her a piece of her mind and telling her to be careful about inciting riots before she ends up in SHU.
And Pensatucky was still a bit crazy but not even as bad as the show made her out to be.
The story was actually pretty mild.

Piper just basically chronicled her life navigating the prison system for 13 months.
Interesting fact that I don’t remember from the show..but it could be my memory too, Piper’s charges were ten years old. She waited years after her guilty verdict before she had to do her time in prison. She had plead guilty right away after endighted but everything was paused because The Feds had caught the big fish in the case, Alaji the African Drug King Pin and they needed Piper in street clothes to testify. So Piper lived her life on borrowed time never knowing exactly when she would have to surrender herself. Now that is fucking wrong. Never knowing when your freedom could be snatched up, always having that thought in the back of you head. “Is today going to be the day when I get the call and I have to report to prison.” That’s got to mess with a person.

Coming in a little scared especially because she was not the “norm” type of prisoner but learning her way around. She actually seems a lot smarter than her alter ego in the show. Not as quick to open her mouth and skeptical about what other inmates wanted from her.

I was a bit disappointed when she finally got to see Norah. I was expecting something a little bit bigger than what happened. All that anger for dragging Piper into such a huge drug case and waiting all that time just to do your measly 13 months and to be in your head about doing prison time. I think Piper was way to nice, but then again I get that probably she didn’t want to jeopardize her short sentence.

Narration:
The audiobook was narrated by Cassandra Campbell and I really felt like I was hearing Piper Kerman’s voice through her reading. It felt she was telling the story instead of it being read straight from the book, if you know what I mean.

Final Thoughts:
I was kept interested in hearing about Pipers life pre Danberry and behind bars throughout the whole book. She had interesting stories to tell about herself and other inmates even if I craved a little more drama it was never boring.
The only major thing that really irritated me was the ending. It was very abrupt and I wanted a little more post Danberry look at Pipers life.
But overall anyone who is interested in memoirs should give this a try, it will not disappoint. ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Wendy rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, non-fiction, memoir-biography, 2018, behind-bars, true-crime

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Hey, guess what? I'm one of those weird people who still hasn't seen the show! I am officially the worst Netflix binge-watcher. I saw the first episode of Orange is the New Black a few years ago, and while I've been assured by a number of trusted friends that I'll like it, I just never got around to watching the second episode (this is my M.O. for almost all shows: dabble and move on).

I recently read Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, in which she talks about why she enjoyed the book, but can't quite g ...more

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Feb 16, 2014 Ellie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, bournemouth-book-club

So first off I should point out I haven’t watched the TV show based on this book, so I can’t make comparisons. I have heard it is quite different though. Certainly it’s been made more dramatic than this non-fiction tale which shines the light on the kind and generous nature of Piper’s fellow inmates. It’s not what I was expecting. She was undoubtedly a very lucky woman, to have an amazing support system on the outside but also her circumstances inside the prison weren’t as bleak as you’d imagine So first off I should point out I haven’t watched the TV show based on this book, so I can’t make comparisons. I have heard it is quite different though. Certainly it’s been made more dramatic than this non-fiction tale which shines the light on the kind and generous nature of Piper’s fellow inmates. It’s not what I was expecting. She was undoubtedly a very lucky woman, to have an amazing support system on the outside but also her circumstances inside the prison weren’t as bleak as you’d imagine.

Piper’s main focus is to show the injustice of the statutory minimum sentences for drug offences in the US. Many of the women are inside for minor things and their sentences are certainly not about rehabilitation. Instead the prison makes it even harder for them to sort their lives out afterwards. In showing the positive sides of the women she befriended, it’s easier to make her argument. She felt it would be just as effective for her to have done the time in community service, working with the kind of people she hurt through her actions.

The strength of the book for me was the anecdotal nature of the way they all spent their days and the small trials and tribulations of life inside a prison where you have to look out for each other. It’s a book that’s probably better dipped into as reading for long stretches made me crave a proper story with dramatic ups and downs. Though prison is monotonous, so it can only reflect what she experienced.

I did like their creativity with the limited food they had and their microwaved delicacies. I started to crave some prison cheesecake after a while and some chilaquiles (basically tortillas cooked in salsa). You don’t expect food cravings from a book about prison!

I read this for book group and many of my fellow members felt Piper was a bit self-centred and they wanted more information on the other inmates. There are probably more in-depth books on the subject out there but this is an easy read, and is a different perspective than we usually get to see in the media. So I think it’s worth reading if you’re interested in the subject matter but not if you’re after some sort of expose or thrilling read. ...more

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Jan 05, 2019 Jd rated it liked it

Shelves: print, non-fiction

1/2

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Sep 03, 2015 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: work, 1000books, non-fiction, memoir-a-b, true-crime

Piper came to speak at Brockport, but I didn't attend. Having finished the book, I wish I could go back in time to hear her speak. The book was full of compassion and pain, and written with a sense of humor and appreciation that makes me admire the author.

It left me questioning things I hadn't thought to question before, so all in all a very good book. ...more

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