Orange Is the New Black * Piper Kerman * Nonfiction

With a career, a boyfriend, & a loving family, she barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money 10 years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted & sentenced to 15 months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, CT, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—1 of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior & arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, & simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious & enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away & what happens to them when they’re there.

Autobiography, True Crime, Netflix

314 pgs, paperback. Used, see photos