by Anthony Ray Hinton
St. Martin's Press, 2018. 255 pages. Biography
"On April 3, 2015, Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison after spending nearly thirty years in solitary confinement on Alabama's death row." The first sentence in this book had me hooked. Mr. Hinton gives us a detailed account of his almost thirty years on death row for two murders that he didn't commit. The degradation, humiliation, and unimaginable horrors he went through are outlined in his book. More surprisingly, however, is the hope, faith, and love that is detailed in its pages. "Everything, I realized, is a choice. And spending your days waiting to die is no way to live," he writes.
I was utterly spellbound by this book and read the entire thing in one sitting. I'd like to think that if I were in the same situation as Mr. Hinton, I would have the same response. Doubtful. My heart burst with love for this man that I don't know and my heart ached for his pain. I have not been as inspired by a story as this in a long time. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in living a life of purpose. Hinton writes, "I was afraid every single day on death row. And I also found a way to find joy every single day. I learned that fear and joy are both a choice."
LKA
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