The Prisoner's Wife : A Memoir
The Prisoner's Wife is a beautiful story about love that overcomes every obstacle and thrives against all odds. "A powerful and provocative book--everyone should read it." --Angela Y. Davis "Romantic but realistic...told with a directness and honesty." --Booklist, starred review "Mesmerizing and disconcerting, offering insights into why caged birds sing."--Kirkus Reviews As a favor for a friend, a bright and talented young woman volunteered to read her poetry to a group of prisoners during a Black History Month program. It was an encounter that would alter her life forever, because it was there, in the prison, that she would meet Rashid, the man who was to become her friend, her confidant, her husband, her lover, her soul mate. At the time, Rashid was serving a sentence of twenty years to life for his part in a murder. The Prisoner's Wife is a testimony, for wives and mothers, friends and families. It's a tribute to anyone who has ever chosen, against the odds, to love.
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Community Reviews
I don't even know where to begin describing this book. It's absolutely stunning. One of my all-time favorite books, and one of very few that I would give a perfect ‘10' to.
All I knew going in was the basic blurb: asha bandele met, fell in love with, and eventually married a man who is doing 20 to life for murder. This is the story of that relationship. It sounded interesting, though honestly I wasn't sure I'd even bother finishing the book. I had high hopes, but they weren't based on much and I knew I could easily be disappointed. But the writing is so powerful and direct, you cannot help but sink into bandele's story. It's so much more than the story of a woman who fell in love against all odds. bandele writes with such insight and honesty, and you find yourself moving through love, power, struggle, heartbreak, joy, hope, misery, sex, birth, death, discovery, and hundreds of other states. The story is relentless, and yet flows with absolute grace.
I'm not doing it justice, but what a stunning book. Seriously, I'm almost speechless with its beauty. Of course, I would recommend it to just about anyone. With one slight caveat, and it's not a fault with the book in my opinion, but it's something I'd add to the recommendation. That is that several people have mentioned when they started this book that they didn't think they'd finish it because her writing is just too . . . much. Too poetic or too flowery or something. I noticed that as well. And I can't say that it lost that as the book went on, but after a while you see that it really works. She talks about some really intense things in the book, and her style of writing really helps carry it without getting too mired down. So I guess I'd just say this: If all that's bothering you is her writing style, keep reading. I think you'll find that you're enjoying the book by the time you're halfway through at least.
All I knew going in was the basic blurb: asha bandele met, fell in love with, and eventually married a man who is doing 20 to life for murder. This is the story of that relationship. It sounded interesting, though honestly I wasn't sure I'd even bother finishing the book. I had high hopes, but they weren't based on much and I knew I could easily be disappointed. But the writing is so powerful and direct, you cannot help but sink into bandele's story. It's so much more than the story of a woman who fell in love against all odds. bandele writes with such insight and honesty, and you find yourself moving through love, power, struggle, heartbreak, joy, hope, misery, sex, birth, death, discovery, and hundreds of other states. The story is relentless, and yet flows with absolute grace.
I'm not doing it justice, but what a stunning book. Seriously, I'm almost speechless with its beauty. Of course, I would recommend it to just about anyone. With one slight caveat, and it's not a fault with the book in my opinion, but it's something I'd add to the recommendation. That is that several people have mentioned when they started this book that they didn't think they'd finish it because her writing is just too . . . much. Too poetic or too flowery or something. I noticed that as well. And I can't say that it lost that as the book went on, but after a while you see that it really works. She talks about some really intense things in the book, and her style of writing really helps carry it without getting too mired down. So I guess I'd just say this: If all that's bothering you is her writing style, keep reading. I think you'll find that you're enjoying the book by the time you're halfway through at least.
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