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Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row | Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin
A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit."An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity."- Archbishop Desmond TutuIn 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free. But with no money and a different system of justice for a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. He spent his first three years on Death Row at Holman State Prison in agonizing silence--full of despair and anger toward all those who had sent an innocent man to his death. But as Hinton realized and accepted his fate, he resolved not only to survive, but find a way to live on Death Row. For the next twenty-seven years he was a beacon--transforming not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, fifty-four of whom were executed mere feet from his cell. With the help of civil rights attorney and bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, Hinton won his release in 2015. With a foreword by Stevenson, The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times. Destined to be a classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton's memoir tells his dramatic thirty-year journey and shows how you can take away a man's freedom, but you can't take away his imagination, humor, or joy.
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Deblovestoread
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Although I read a bit more nonfiction than normal it really fell off the last quarter or so of the year. I have some good choices to explore on my #AuldLangSpine list so hoping to have a stronger NF year.

#2023ReafingBracket #NonFiction

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Christine
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In love with this list, @Deblovestoread ‘s reading taste, and @monalyisha ‘s keen ability to match readers for #AuldLangSpine ! The checked ones I‘ve read and loved, and I plan to get to a good number of the rest in January, and maybe all of them throughout the year. This is so much fun already! 😁

IndoorDame Great list! Happy reading! 3mo
Deblovestoread I LOVE this post and hope you have an amazing reading experience in 2024 with these books. They all left a mark. Happy New Year! 🍾 3mo
TheKidUpstairs Great list! And I love your graphic 😊 3mo
See All 15 Comments
AmyG It‘s a great list. 3mo
CBee Fantastic list! @Deblovestoread we have a few of the same favorites ♥️ 3mo
BarbaraBB It‘s a fab list indeed 😍 3mo
monalyisha @CBee Yes! One of the trickiest things about matching is when you think you‘ve got a great pairing, and the tastes are all aligned…and then you realize that the two people are TOO well-matched and have read all of the same books already. 😖🙈😅 (edited) 3mo
monalyisha @Christine I love when I agonize over whether I‘ve made the right choice for a match and then see a post like this. Always satisfying and such a relief! 3mo
CBee @monalyisha I‘m a bit in awe of how you do it! You always find the best matches 😊 (edited) 3mo
Christine @IndoorDame Right? I really hit the jackpot! Happy reading feels assured. 🙂 3mo
Christine @Deblovestoread Aww yay, right back at you! I truly do find your list glorious and can't wait to get started. ❤️ 3mo
Christine @TheKidUpstairs A list this good deserves a cute graphic, that's for sure! 😄 3mo
Christine @CBee So fantastic, right? @Deblovestoread clearly has impeccable taste in books. 🤩 3mo
Christine @BarbaraBB Fab is right!! I'm lucky. 😊 3mo
Christine @monalyisha Aww yay! Your effort and care shine through in match perfection - grateful for it. ❤️ 3mo
39 likes15 comments
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CuriousG
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30 book recommendations in 30 days...

Day 24: An amazing memoir. Truly horrific injustice and a situation that demonstrates so many of the issues within the criminal justice system (and society in general), which would reasonably have made most people angry, bitter, and set on revenge, or just plain lashing out. Yet Anthony Ray Hinton was able to retain hope, goodness & light, and we all could learn from him. Great on audio. #30recsin30days

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Deblovestoread
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Pickpick

#Booked23 #WrongfullyIncarcerated

I am blown away by how Ray Hinton maintained his humanity in the most inhumane conditions, how he found a way to shed light in the dark, how he chose not to let that dark overtake him when it would have been so easy to let hate rule. America, it hurts my heart that we are still so broken. That any one of us would condemn a man to death based on the color of his skin is unconscionable. 5 🌟

Cinfhen This book was SHOCKING!!! INFURIATING 10mo
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Daisey
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Pickpick

This book is a combination of incredibly frustrating and inspiring at the same time. I am amazed that someone could go through 30 years on death row due to a wrongful conviction and stay as positive and determined as Ray was able to do.
Audio duration: 7 hours 55 minutes

*I received this #audiobook through the Libro.fm Educator #ALC program. #Librofm

#nonfiction #YRE

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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This is very good. An innocent man spends 30 years on death row. He's very positive despite his awful situation.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

@Soubhiville thank you so much for including this in my #AuthorAMonth package. Such a great book.

Soubhiville I‘m so glad you liked it, you‘re welcome. I loved it. I‘m currently reading Just Mercy, which explores another similar case and is also excellent. 12mo
vlwelser @Soubhiville Just Mercy is one of my favorites. I did not watch the movie though. Bryan Stevenson is a unicorn. 12mo
Soubhiville That‘s the truth! 🦄 12mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 12mo
42 likes4 comments
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Lauren890
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Pickpick

This is excellent - an eye opening account of the author‘s wrongful conviction and imprisonment on death row. It‘s heartbreaking but also hopeful. I recommend reading Just Mercy first - it would help you appreciate this more I think. Highly recommend!

marleed I agree! It‘s a must-read companion to Just Mercy! 14mo
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vlwelser
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😍😍😍 @Soubhiville Thank you, thank you, thank you!

#AuthorAMonth

Soubhiville You‘re welcome! I hope you‘ll enjoy them. 🙂 1y
vlwelser @Soubhiville I absolutely will. Louise and I are about to hang out here shortly.... 1y
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BookDee
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Pickpick

Ouf! What a story, took me a while to finish, it was hard to read. Thank you Anthony for sharing your life with us readers. How could an innocent man lose all his life in prison and the only crime he committed was being black. One of my best read of 2022.

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MaggieCarr
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Pickpick

The more I read and find myself in another's shoes the more disheartened I am with the flawed human race, the flawed governing bodies, and the flawed institutions in place in our societies. I don't think I would have been as optimistic as Anthony Hinton, after being let down again and again. Truly a memoir everyone needs to read, made even more real after reading The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist (Radley Balko) earlier this year.

CuriousG This memoir was devastating yet he is so inspiring. The amount of resilience it must have taken for him to remain hopeful and kind in those circumstances is mind boggling to me. I like to think I can adapt well, but I am certain I could not manage as he did. Truly an inspiring man that was put through a hell that nobody deserves. 2y
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Adventures-of-a-French-Reader
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Pickpick

5/5 Excellent! Hinton shares how he spent 30 years of his life in death row in Alabama for a crime he didn't commit, showing how weak the case against him was, and how he was set up. He also shares how he managed to keep hope, and survive, but also how this dreadful experience keeps on shaping his daily life. It is a must read!

mcctrish This case was referenced in an audio book I listened to, in fact more than one I think. Thx for the post, I need to check this out 2y
Adventures-of-a-French-Reader @mcctrish It must be Just Mercy? I want to read this book, but I like spacing books out, reading several books about the same theme/subject in a short period of time is not my cup of tea. And sometimes, if I do so, I feel that I tend to compare them, being sometimes harsher on a book than I normally would... 2y
mcctrish No, I don‘t think I‘ve read that one. It‘s either The Skin We‘re in, Caste or Between the World and me ( or possibly all 3 or another that I just can‘t remember) 2y
Adventures-of-a-French-Reader @mcctrish Other books to look up ;) Thanks! 2y
paulfrankspencer This guy spoke at my church once. Good stuff. 2y
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CRR
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Pickpick

Powerful book. Easy to read because it was so full of Mr. Hinton‘s personality. Hard to read because it‘s so hard to believe. Thankfully it ended well—but it took 30 years. Highly encourage this book to others.

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Jody3
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Pickpick

A classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton‘s memoir tells his dramatic thirty-year journey and shows how you can take away a man‘s freedom, but you can‘t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.

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Rachel.Rencher
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Book number ✌️ today. I'm on a bit of a non-fiction kick.

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DieAReader
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#AwesomeApril #BookNookBuddies2022 #ReadMyRoom #BookSpinBingo

Today‘s #ReadMyRoom pick (also on my Bingo card😉).

Andrew65 Hope you enjoy it. 2y
DieAReader @Andrew65 ♥️♥️ 2y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 2y
39 likes3 comments
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marleed
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It wasn‘t until I put this grid together that I realized it would be Black narratives for the win for this grid with the tagged shining bright. Ray Hinton is light.

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

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marleed
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Pickpick

Just Mercy was such an emotional read that I had to prep my heart to return to the story of Anthony Ray Hinton. However , reading this injustice from his perspective somehow left me with hope. This is only possible because he is such an incredible man. I sure hope his exes - Halle, Sandra, Kim - stop by for a chat from time to time.

February 2022 #BookSpin. @TheAromaofBooks

Suet624 Such a great book! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 2y
76 likes2 comments
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AmyG
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Thank you my wonderful friend….what a great Hanukkah it‘s been! I look forward to reading these all…what great books. And those socks 🙌🏻. Next week it‘s supposed to snow and I will have to give in and actually wear socks. 😂
I so cherish out friendship (thank you Litsy). 😘
@Soubhiville

Soubhiville You‘re so welcome! I chose books from your TBR that I loved 🥰. Happy Hanukkah! 2y
AmyG Ha…I chose books for you that I, also, loved! Mailing it Monday (if it doesn‘t snow early). 2y
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sblbooks
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Incredible true story! Just imagine being wrongly convicted of murder and spending the next thirty years in solitary. The Injustice is poor man endured is unbelievable!
What an amazing testimony, despite all this he was able to forgive those that did him so wrong. It really makes you think what would you do in this situation? I definitely want to read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson now.
#NonFictionNovember

Hooked_on_books Just Mercy is so good! And this one is marvelous. This man has so much grace, it‘s extraordinary. 2y
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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

This was fantastic. And really pissed me off! My #bookspin for June @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
29 likes1 comment
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JenReadsAlot
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My #bookspin and #doublespin for June! Will put my #bookspinbingo board together after work! Thanks @TheAromaofBooks for doing this!!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
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WriterAtHeart
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Pickpick

When I finished "Just Mercy" this week, this book was mentioned at the end. I took a look at my local library and I was lucky that the book was available to read. I picked it up and I am so glad I did. This narrative follows Anthony Ray Hinton, a man wrongly accused and sent to death row. It took decades before Mr. Hinton was released, and his story is powerful. Even more powerful is his drive to tell his story. 100% recommend this book!

Suet624 I agree. A terrific read. 3y
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MariahLovesBooks
Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wow! I'm glad I chose this to start 2021 with. 💞 He endured 30 years on death row and didn't allow it to break his spirit!

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CuriousG
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Day 5 of #12booksof2020

The Sun Does Shine is another AMAZING book I read (in this case listened to) this year. My favourite non-fiction of the year. Truly remarkable the hope & perspective Anthony Ray Hinton was able to maintain despite being in jail for so long for a crime he did not commit. A tale of hope, but it also details so many of the issues of systemic racism within the justice system & these made me so angry @ times I wanted to scream

Andrew65 Sounds like required reading. 3y
CuriousG @Andrew65 I think it should be required reading. I didn't think it could live up to the expectations I had going in, but I was wrong. Love when that happens! 3y
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

I cannot fathom how this man went through all he endured and then managed to write such a hopeful, loving, forgiving book. This will definitely be in my top reads for this year. I‘m speechless.

MicheleinPhilly Isn‘t it just astonishing? This was one of my favorites the year I read it. Stories like his make me feel ashamed of how much I let little things get to me. 3y
Hooked_on_books Such a marvelous book. We can all learn from him how to be better. 3y
See All 7 Comments
Catsandbooks Your cat is adorable! 💖 3y
CBee Soubhi!!! I love Venkman! When did you get him? @Soubhiville (edited) 3y
Soubhiville @CBee he‘s been with us for about 2 months. He has settled in nicely to our family, even made friends with the dog. ❤️ 3y
CBee @Soubhiville I‘m so happy for y‘all. He‘s such a handsome boy. I love his curled ears ♥️ 3y
79 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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Loveforlit2
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An intense look at the American judicial system. What was done to this man and so many individuals is an absolute shame. An eye opening read.

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CuriousG
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Pickpick

This book was so much more than I thought it would be. I raged and despaired, cried angry, sad, and finally happy tears. Hearing about the systemic and racial injustices that kept an innocent man on death row for almost 30 years, was very difficult, but worth every second. Our system was, and is still, broken, but I hold hope that we can still affect change. I do wish there was a bit more about life after he was freed though. Still a 5 star read

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Kathrin
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Graciouswarriorprincess @Kathrin I just found that my alumni association is starting a book group and this is the first book to be read. 4y
Kathrin @Graciouswarriorprincess It's a tough read, but it helps to know that his case had a happy ending. 4y
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Cinfhen
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Pickpick

This is a real life WOW. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. He swore from the first moment that he was innocent and that one day justice would prevail. Justice came, but at such a price. Bryan Stevenson is a true hero, both men inspirations, voices for those silenced. Fantastic audio narration 🎧”Why does innocence have a price?” Our system is broken 💔

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Cinfhen
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At the half way point....Thank God I know this book ends well, because right now my blood is boiling 🤬The systemic racism is sickening 🤯😢#PopSummer20 #BookSpinBingo

LeeRHarry It‘s a rollercoaster alright! 4y
CuriousG I'm in the middle of listening to this one on audio. I find I need to take breaks as it can make me so mad!! 4y
76 likes3 comments
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paulareadsallthetime
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Pickpick

Such a good book!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. One man‘s struggle to get justice after being put on death row for crimes he did not commit. I am in awe of his perseverance and how he used his time in prison.

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Melkyl
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Pickpick

This book was just so good. I am not sure how Ray Hinton remains so upbeat after losing 30 years of his life after wrongly being incarcerated on death row. His tale is tragic, and it definitely adds to the argument against the death penalty. How can killing by the state be justified when there are innocent people on death row? How is it fair that money often determines the outcome? Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy) is a treasure.

LeeRHarry Just started this one today. 4y
Melkyl @LeeRHarry I hope you find it as interesting as I did. 4y
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shaynarae
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Pickpick

Just Mercy is getting a lot of attention, but this book is the memoir of the falsely accused man, rather than his lawyer. Hinton reflects on his 30 years on death row for a crime he didn‘t commit. This book is a heartbreaking but very real account racism in the justice system. Despite everything, Hinton holds up love, forgiveness, and hope.

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avkreads
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Two must-read books to understand how broken the judicial system is and how the right to a fair trial does not apply if you are not white. The Sun Does Shine chronicles a man who spent 28 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect shines a light on police brutality and makes a great case for #defundthepolice

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TheSpineView
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OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚☀️ 4y
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MelKelsey
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Pickpick

35: The autobiographical account of one innocent man's time spent on death row--30 years. This book educates about the shortcomings of our legal system, the inhumane conditions on death row and in prisons everywhere, and, through eliciting feelings of compassion and sympathy, it posits that the death penalty is never humane. You will cry, and you will feel called to help. A beautiful man with a beautiful story of hope in the face of despair.

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Eggs
Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row | Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin
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A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit.

#sunshine
#bloomingbibliophiles
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@OriginalCyn620

violabrain Fantastic book! Have you also read 4y
JaclynW I loved this book! 4y
OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚😢 4y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs @violabrain No I haven‘t but have heard great things! 4y
Eggs @JaclynW Uplifting! 4y
Eggs @OriginalCyn620 ❤️🌸❤️ 4y
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Erynecki
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Pickpick

An extraordinary story of three decades of false imprisonment and the amazing capacity of the human spirit to still have hope, love, and belief that truth will prevail. Such loss and suffering and the failure of the justice system to address the mistakes and justly resolve the wrongs. If you haven‘t already read Bryan Stevenson‘s book, Just Mercy, or seen the documentary, 13th, those should also be on your list.

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Cindyelizavaz
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Pickpick

This book stole my breath away. So much pain, yet so much strength in Ray to be able to go through what he did. One of the best book I've read this year.

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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This started slow, but once Hinton began describing his experience on death row, the story took on a new existence. Locked up 30 years for crime he didn‘t commit, yet he and his phenomenally dedicated attorney Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy) kept fighting. That Hinton and his fellow death row inmates became an unlikely family is incredible. Our justice system is fundamentally flawed, and failed him on so many levels.

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Cindyelizavaz

Freedom was a ghost that haunted us all on the row, but most of all we were haunted by a past we could not go back and change. Loss and grief and a cold madness that defied words floated in the grime and filth that we were all coated in. Hell was real, and it had an address and a name.

Death Row, Holman Prison.

Where love and hope went to die.

- The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton

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Cindyelizavaz
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This.
My heart is so very broken just by reading this!
#nowreading

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Cindyelizavaz
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#bookmail day! Love it! #readinglist

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Beatlefan129
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Pickpick

I‘m middle class and white, so being arrested and accused of a crime is not something I‘ve really thought about. Anthony Ray Hinton didn‘t think about it either until one horrific day when he was arrested and told he was going to “take one for the team” because if he didn‘t commit those murders, some other poor black man probably did. The story of how he managed to hold on to his hope while on death row for 30 years is incredible.

ljuliel Great review. I need to read this sometime. 4y
umbrellagirl It amazes me that something like this could happen in my lifetime. 4y
MsLeah8417 I recommend also reading Chokehold by Paul Butler. 4y
See All 8 Comments
Skeebies05 Happy birthday 🎊🎈🎂!! I have a package for you on the way. I didnt want you to think I forgot❤️❤️❤️ 4y
Beatlefan129 @Skeebies05 You‘re the best! 🌹 I know I owe you a letter, I‘ll get on that soon 4y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Happy Birthday! There is a little something in the mail for you, so keep an eye out. 😊🎂 4y
Blueberry I too am middle class and white. My close friend (also middle class and white) was arrested for something they didn't do. After losing their job, friends, and considerable money it was shown they were innocent a year later. Demographics don't matter. It was horrifying, and life-changing and can happen to anyone. 4y
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Jasxnicole
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Pickpick

These were great reads. I learned a lot about capital murder cases and the death penalty, which really made me stop and think about my own feelings and if I‘ve changed my mind on my position. It definitely put things into perspective that not all cases are black and white, especially when there may be some foul play behind the scenes, so I‘m glad that I got accounts from both sides.

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Jasxnicole
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Spoken into existence 🙌🏾