Piper Kerman's Captivating Memoir, "Orange is the New Black"

Sasha: Uno spaccato della vita carceraria femminile negli Usa, dal quale è stata tratta una stratosferica serie televisiva. L'autrice racconta la sua storia di carcerata in seguito a un reato minore, per il quale ha pagato a caro prezzo ma da cui ha saputo trarre insegnamenti di vita, amicizie, rapporti interpersonali, per raggiungere una totale riabilitazione e poi anche la fama. Disponibile solo in inglese, anche se la lettura richiede più tempo merita assolutamente.

Italy on Dec 14, 2023

TED: Read as part of a reading group. Most thought there were too many characters which made it difficult to follow but, personally, I didn't agree. Hopefully, I'll never find myself in prison but, if I do, I hope it's as cosy and friendly as this book portrays... somewhat unbelievable. Most of us got a little bored part way through as it just seemed to be a series of episodes with little continuing story. Interesting statistics on drug crime, re-offending rates, etc.

United Kingdom on Jun 01, 2023

Lizzy from My Little Book Blog: The book for me was a surprising read; I thought that the book would be a story with a definite plot that weaved through creating anticipation to a final climax, (this was mostly due to it being made into a television show!) I was completely wrong and if I’m honest I’m glad I was. The book is a better book than I could have expected with no added drama and no over the top embellishments. It is an account of the correctional system from an insider’s perspective detailing the difficulties, the stories and the dreams of the prisoners that Kerman finds herself in the company of. Through the book we learn of Kerman’s treacherous past after getting involved in the drugs trade through a girlfriend. This comes back to haunt her and Piper is convicted and sentenced. After ten years, she is finally sent to the correctional facility in Danbury where she is met with a host of lively and understanding convicts. Among the bunch is the Piper’s bunkie, the quiet and serious Natalie that keeps their cube spotless, Little Janet the endearing friend that Piper grows extremely close to and Pop, a mothering figure that after a couple of months takes Piper under her wing. Down for a number of...

United Kingdom on Jun 02, 2015

Cecile Sune: In 1993, Piper Kerman had just graduated from college when she fell for the wrong girl: Nora was an older woman who was involved in an international drug smuggling ring. Piper started following her girlfriend in her frequent trips, and one day Nora asked her to smuggle a suitcase full of money from the United States to Belgium. When her baggage was almost lost in transit, Piper realized she was in way over her head, and she escaped and settled in San Francisco. Her short criminal past was behind her, and she was going to build a new life. She started a relationship with a new boyfriend, Larry Smith, and after a while they decided to move to New York. Five years later, two Customs agents showed up at her door: she was indicted for money laundering and drug trafficking. In 2004, after years of legal proceedings, she was sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison, 13 months with good behavior. Orange is the New Black tells her story behind bars in a minimum-security facility in Danbury, CT.

Piper Kerman writes honestly about her experience as an inmate. She tells the reader about her fears and loneliness at the beginning of her sentence. In movies or on TV, prison is always...

Canada on Apr 02, 2014

Kim Erskine: Piper Kerman was no criminal. She was not a dangerous woman. She was just a young adult who made some really, really bad decisions. Did she deserved to be punished for her actions? Absolutely. Did she deserve to be sentenced to a year in women’s prison for a crime committed 10 years ago? Not at all. But that is exactly what happened and what happens to many women everyday in the US.

I’ve always been anti drugs and anti legalization of drugs including marijuana. And I still hold those beliefs. But whereas before I believed that drug addicts deserved to be confined to prison, I’m not so sure I believe that anymore. Piper Kerman’s Orange is the New Black definitely helped me to reevaluate my beliefs.

Prison is a place that no one ever wants to be. You are completely blocked from the outside world. That seems to be the biggest punishment. You are alone with fellow inmates and your thoughts. Yes, you can have visitors — but they must be approved, your time will be short, and you can’t so much as give them a hug most of the time. This seems to be the harshest punishment in prison. Not that prison is a walk in the park.

Living in prison is hard. It’s...

United States on Dec 15, 2013

Vanessa F: After a very hearty recommendation from several people I trust, I started watching the Netflix original TV show Orange is The New Black. While it can be a little disjointed and awkward in parts, it has its charm. The characters are memorable and the story-lines are very compelling. While I haven’t had time to marathon the series in its entirety, I thought to check out Piper Kerman’s candid memoir of her life in prison, where she was incarcerated for a drug trafficking charge almost a decade after committing the crime.

So, how does Kerman’s biography stand up to the TV show? Well… There’s certainly enough material to adapt, considering Kerman was a fish completely out of water when put into the prison scene, and tensions and drama are definitely going to crop up in a prison. A little like high school, there are popular people whom you need to earn the approval of, there are authority figures who are either completely out of touch with your day to day life, or otherwise completely corrupt; there are inmates who you might need to avoid, et cetera.

What I’m most disappointed in with Orange is the New Black is how it handles what the prison system does to its...

United Kingdom on Dec 02, 2013

Kristin M. Pickford: I had in the last month subscribed to Netflix, and in doing so, I had heard a lot of the hype about the new original series called Orange is the New Black. I watched the 13 episodes in a matter of a couple of days. I have to say I absolutely loved the show. I looked forward to sitting with my new Kindle and watching each new episode. It was really sad to have it come to an end so quickly because I really had enjoyed it so much. I happened to be listening to NPR one day and heard the show Fresh Air with Terri Gross. Her guest that day happened to be Piper Kerman. She is the woman who wrote this memoir of her year in a Women's Prison. I became even more intrigued with the differences that she was telling Terri about from the book to the show on Netflix. I then decided that I really wanted to hear the real story and see what it was like. I didn't hesitate to go right to Amazon.com and pick up a copy of the new paperback book Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman. I am very happy that I decided to get the book written by the person who actually lived the story. I will say that Netflix did an excellent job in creating a very good show that really did a...

United States on Sep 04, 2013