I'll Fly Away Wally Lamb and the Women of York Prison

I'll Fly Away: Further Testimonies from the Women of York Prison by Wally Lamb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'll fly away is something I've secretly said to myself, throughout my life. Also I've read Piper's book and watched "Orange is the New Black", so those are my determining factors when I picked up this book. I wondered about my friends in jail, and how I managed to escape the Law...

Wally Lamb is not just an editor, he teaches the women in NY prison how to write. I was really impressed to read about his contributions! These women worked hard, it shows when you read what they wrote. I read through the book so fast, it all flowed and I related to many of them. Many of the reasons the women were (and are) in the prison were after effects of being abused.

"In tears, I stare up at the night sky. "Hi. It's me." I am speaking aloud. "If anyone's up there, I need your help. I love him, but I'm not strong enough. It's been bad for months and it keeps getting worse. So I'm asking for a favor. Please let me die. I don't want it to be painful. Just let me go to sleep and not wake up." II Torn Pants, Empty Sky 1998 Charrissa Willette

This is a statement I have made dozens of time, and when I read this it hit me rock hard in the heart. Char as a 14 year old, gets picked up by an 18 year old boy...(at that age, I thought it was cool too) and her first relationship with this man (who raped her) ends up her last and lands her in prison years later.. although he abused her.
Why are we jailing abused women, who kill in self defense?A lot of women are hopeless either stuck in prison for numerous years or life, all their golden years spent in a prison... for things like drugs, abuse and things that could have been avoided.

"I'll Fly Away" just touched my heart, and I encourage anyone to read the words of the women from NY Prison. One woman on the outside, lives the same as on the inside.

To get a copy:  Amazon
The first book: Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institute   

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