Fred Mal

Picture this: You are a law abiding citizen. Then, all of a sudden, the legal system casts you into prison. You reason that this an elaborate joke, a grand scheme made by your friends, maybe even a fever dream, but then, reality hits: This is your life. Everything about your normal life fades away: Your friends, your job, you kids, your parents, everything, in a blink of an eye is gone. Your new life is now a miserable existence as you spend the rest of your days rotting in a cell for a crime that you never committed. What I've just described to you is the reality of many prisoners, some of which are condemned to die. One of the many goals of Bryan Stevenson is to help save the innocent who are imprisoned. Some of these people have been locked away for years, even decades, and the fact that Bryan Stevenson is giving them a second chance and hope is enough for me to give his mission five stars. But he goes above and beyond. He comforts and spends time out of his day to visit the prisoners. For some, that is the first human interaction with someone who wasn't a prisoner or cop in years. Sure, this book is a little sad. Sure, you learn about people who are condemned to die. Bryan Stevenson even admits his job tugs on his heart. But the reality is, Bryan could have easily become a lawyer who makes six figures a year. But instead, he decided to ignore the cash incentive, and help the most vulnerable in the community. And if that isn't a heart warming story, then I don't know what is. Bryan Stevenson's book had a really profound effect on me. There is a lot of bad in the world-- kids being sentenced to life without parole for petty crimes, etc. But there is hope and there is good. If I ever find myself in Montgomery Alabama, I'll make sure to visit him. Five stars.