The Sun Does Shine

A powerful, emotional read. It's not every day we get to see life from a side we wouldn't ordinarily know. Experiencing the unimaginable is powerful because we tend to not believe what we can't imagine. When we do, and we know what we didn't before, we can't undo such knowing. Awareness is powerful, as is Understanding, both which don't always come easy. This amazing story, well delivered, adds to us human beings, providing a Perspective on the human condition which extends us as people. “The moment we treat others as less than human, that's the moment we become monsters.” A quote which comes to mind for me to represent a deep Understanding from the book. A sharing of intimacy-of-being well worth reading.

Whatever I write about this book won't be good enough to describe it. I suggest that you just read it.

This is a story that teaches about injustice, racism, faith, perseverance, the strength of the human spirit, compassion, the adaptability of humans, forgiveness, freedom, and much more.

The book is written exceptionally well. The story is exceptionally sad and infuriating, but also just as much inspiring.

Really, really excellent, and deeply impactful.

This was a powerful story and might end up being my favorite book this year. Just an incredible story that left me teary eyed more than a few times.

real life shawshank but more horrific due to racism and injustice. sobbed a few times because of anger and helplessness. i'm just glad it was a happy ending. i hope the author stays strong with his advocacy. death penalty is barbaric and never justified.

Sad but hopeful first-person account of a man's experience living on death row for thirty years after being convicted for a crime that he could did not commit.

Incredibly touching and inspiring; it made me want to cry on multiple occassions.

This book is as hopeful as it is heartwrenching, but it's also a testament to the incredible human ability to persist and endure for the truth. Also, Alabama courts have elevated systemic racism to an unspeakable horror that leaves me breathless. One in ten inmates on death row are statistically innocent, yet courts tried everything in their power not to hear appeals on what should've been a mistrial. People can serve their time, but the death penalty shouldn't exist. Full stop.

“The death penalty is broken, and you are either part of the death squad or you are banging on the bars.”

First pray, then call Bryan Stevenson.
Imagination, forgiveness, never giving up hope - no one is only the worst thing they've ever done, and holding onto anger only hurts yourself.

Thinking on sentencing reform and the death penalty - I didn't know the rate of error in death-row sentencing was so high, or that judges could override the sentencing recommendations of juries.

Wow, what an awesome book. I need to do a full review on this, but the long and short of this is that this book was incredibly enlightening. It may have changed my personal position on the death penalty. If you aren't sure about this one, definitely pick it up and read it. Very well written. Humorous despite the dark topic. But totally worth the time.

I started reading this for the No Dumb Question's Podcast Book Club on my commute home yesterday. I literally could not stop. Some books are just captivating, and this is one of them. Without a doubt, this is my favorite book I've read this year. Even though there's still more than half of the year left, I don't think anything else I read this year is going to top it. Seriously, go read it. More people need to know how awful the death penalty is.

6 stars*. If you only read one book the rest of your life, this is my recommendation.

This is an amazing story that I wish were more unbelievable. Unfortunately, there are too many examples. This one just happens to be an extreme case. The United States should abolish the death penalty, not just because the justice system makes too many mistakes like this, but because it is inhumane. In the meantime, let's remove bias from the system.

Inspirational, in the best sense of the word. The afterword is staggering and the entire book is a call to awareness and action about what's being done in our name.