Reviews for I'll Fly Away: Further Testimonies from the Women of York Prison

The average rating for I'll Fly Away: Further Testimonies from the Women of York Prison based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2007-09-24 00:00:00 Laura Sakalauskas Several years ago, I read "Couldn't Keep It To Myself", the first collection of stories from Wally Lamb and the women of York Correctional Institution. I absolutely loved the book and my copy quickly became tattered as friend after friend read the book and shared my sense of awe. When I heard that a second compilation was being released, I couldn't wait to read it. Like its predecessor, this book is a collection of stories written by a group of women who are part of a prison writing workshop led by Wally Lamb. The stories cover a number of topics from childhood memories to the experience of incarceration. I found each one to be emotionally honest and poignant. I am so impressed by the candor these women show in telling their stories, the courage they show in sharing their stories with the world, and the wisdom that they seem to gain through the thoughtful exploration and writing about aspects of their lives. I have a very deep respect and appreciation for these writers. So many times in our society, we think of people who are incarcerated simply as their crime and forget about the complexities of the human experience. I wish that policy makers would read books like this one and begin to recognize the myriad circumstances that are part of many incarcerated women's experience: domestic violence, child abuse, molestation, drugs, mentally ill parents. Perhaps then we would be willing to take action to prevent these things from happening and to provide services to rehabilitate and support when they do. Thank you to Wally Lamb and the women of York.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-06-19 00:00:00 Shana Gingerich I value Wally Lamb as a writer, but also he has contributed so much to women in the prison system, and I'm sure received much satisfaction. I teach homeless women and women in transition writing. I am drawn to the anonymous amongst us as they reveal a true nobility. I'll Fly Way, further testimonies from the Women of York Prison fits into that category. I write to someone in Chowchilla, and do things in a small way to help her. She was battered, but is not under that status; lawyers are working on her and her mother's release. The narratives within these pages speak honestly and with courage. I also have a new friend who was imprisoned for over 25 years, innocent of the charge of murder, and she was released. Prison is a horror story. I'm not absolving all those guilty of horrendous crimes, but our legal system geared to wealthier components of our society. Wally Lam conducted writing workshops at the maximum security York Correctional Institutions, Connecticut's only prison for women. Lam discovered writing allowed these women to confront painful memoires, face their fears and their failures and begin to imagine better lives. These pieces are very thoughtful; I'd encourage anyone to read them.