Official Review: Letters to a Lifer by Cindy Sanford

[BlaqkViolette]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Letters to a Lifer" by Cindy Sanford.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“Letters to a Lifer: The Boy 'Never to be Released'” by Cindy Sanford is a non-fiction account of the author’s own relationship with a young man in prison, and is an enthralling story of faith and redemption.

Cindy Sanford is a registered nurse, the mother of three boys and the wife of a Wildlife Conservation Officer. When the story begins, the reader is introduced to Cindy’s “tough on crime” personality. She runs an Art shop, and is eventually shown the works of art created by Ken Crawford. At 15 years old, Ken was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole due to his involvement in the murder of 2 people. Having to contact Ken to send him the money received from the sale of his art, not even Cindy or Ken realises the life-changing journey they are about to embark on.

Firstly, I have to congratulate the author on how she has treated a profoundly sensitive subject. At no point does she forget about the victims of the crime committed, or the turmoil the victim’s family would still be going through.

Cindy Sanford selflessly writes about her own inner turmoil, depicting her battle with her deeply entrenched morals; there is only right and wrong, good and bad, no in-between, no “grey area”. However, through the chapters, you can see her mind-set changing. Slowly Cindy begins to realise that not everything is that simple and can fit into this concept. Cindy has her faith tested, with her questioning God about why he has brought this man into her life; she also questions the teachings of her church during one poignant part of the book. The conflicts about what she thinks and what she feels is clear. When reading the book, the reader is bound to share the same thoughts as Cindy.

Ken, a convicted killer, shows the reader surprise after surprise with his polite and humble attitude. His faith in God is questionable at first by Cindy however it is clear that Ken has deep remorse for the events that took place the night of the murders. Cindy’s wariness of Ken slowly melts away as she sees the man that he has become, not the crime he was convicted of. Ken’s actions in Prison are also evidence of how much he has changed, from saving young birds to be-friending a mentally challenged inmate. The stories of his childhood give some reason behind how his life took the path it did, but never once does Ken use this as an excuse.

The author breaches the concept of what people believe is “Justice”. Ken, having served 11 years of his life sentence, was only 15 when he was convicted of murder. Pennsylvania is a state known well for its low tolerance towards convicted killers; however Cindy’s book encapsulates the idea that sentencing children to life without parole is not always the answer. It adds to the work of USA’s National Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and shows how one tragedy can be turned into two. Evidently, the book acknowledges that Ken is most likely in the minority of prisoners, one who truly has been rehabilitated, and alludes to the fact that the not all prisoners are like Ken.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Although the subject matter is sensitive, the well-written story will touch your heart. The book will make you laugh and potentially even make you cry, making it an emotional rollercoaster. This book will most likely appeal to those interested in restorative justice, or potentially anyone interested in crime. Being from the UK, this special insight into the USA’s justice system has been eye-opening, and it has been a privilege to be able to read and review this book.

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Letters to a Lifer
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[zeldas_lullaby]

Great review. Intriguing book. Tough topic.

[Levi]

@BlaqkViolette, I didn't even wait to tell you, I went straight to bookshelves and added this to my list. Very, very well written review! I love books about this kind of struggle between black and white, and the subsequent change of one's views of others that they don't understand. Great job!!

[memory]

Great review, this one sounds fascinating and I do like it when books force you to revisit your opinions on things.

[BlaqkViolette]

@BlaqkViolette, I didn't even wait to tell you, I went straight to bookshelves and added this to my list. Very, very well written review! I love books about this kind of struggle between black and white, and the subsequent change of one's views of others that they don't understand. Great job!!

Wow, thank you very much! It was a fascinating book which I highly recommend!

@zeldas_lullaby and @memory thank you

[zeldas_lullaby]

You're welcome!!

[Levi]

Your are very welcome. Good job!

[chytach18-]

Great review, BlaqkViolette. Being for the UK myself, but being born in a country where democracy and justice are still in their childhood, I do understand why you had an 'eye-opening' experience while reading this book. Your review is very well-structured and it`s evident that you were reading it with both eyes and heart opened.

[zeldas_lullaby]

This review yanked at my heartstrings too!

[BlaqkViolette]

@chytach18- thank you very much! It was quite enlightening to find out about another nations laws and sentencing. Especially as in the UK, as you'd know, it's quite unheard of for a minor to serve a life sentence!

[bluemel4]

I really enjoyed reading your review. This book sounds very interesting. I read Orange is The New Black and it really opened my eyes to prision culture. I am adding this book to my reading list. I think it will add another layer for advocacy and education about the effects of long term prision sentences.

[bookowlie]

Nice, insightful review! The story looks really interesting. The whole concept of a 15-year-old sentenced to life without parole is mind-boggling, especially with someone who has remorse.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

Excellent review, BlaqkViolette! Congrats to the author on a four star rating!

This book sounds like an excellent read and I would love to give it a try.