Orange is the New Black

Title: Orange is the New Black

Author: Piper Kerman

Pages: 298

Genre: Memoir

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Piper Kerman is young and traveling the world with some friends who get their money from lining up drug mules - people who will carry drugs or money across the world inconspicuously in their personal luggage.  Eventually, Piper gets roped into carrying a suitcase full of money to Europe.  While she is not caught then, she gets cold feet and returns home.  Late on, once the drug ring has been busted Piper is fingered as a culprit and she is sentenced to prison.  However, she is not slated to start her sentence until some of the other major players are extradited, in case she needs to testify against them. Eventually, nearly 10 years after her crime was committed, she is sent to Danbury women's prison in Connecticut to serve her sentence.

My Review: I actually really enjoyed this book.  The biggest thing that I took from the book (and which surprised me) was the compassion that I felt for many of the women in prison alongside Piper.  Typically when I hear about somebody in prison, or who has been in prison, I'm pretty judgmental, even when those thoughts only happen in my head.  After reading and hearing Piper's stories I felt a lot more compassion for many of the women.  Very few people wake up intending to commit an egregious crime, but many people make mistakes that land them in the slammer.  Piper, who comes from a middle-class white family was in a class of her own in prison, which is dominated by those struggling on lower incomes.

Disclaimer: There is some language, but I didn't feel that it was excessive.