I'll Fly Away

October 1, 2007
Lamb follows his earlier collection of essays written by incarcerated women in his highly acclaimed writing program at a Connecticut prison with more personal testimonials about the social forces that land women in prison. In his introduction, Lamb recalls the struggle to get Couldnt Keep It to Myself (2003) published and the transformative power of teaching the women to write through the pain and suffering of their lives to possible redemption. In20 essays, contributors recall childhood suffering, family connections, abusive relationships, and the circumstances that led them to be imprisoned. But the women also offer keen observations of the criminal-justice system, lessons learned from people who cared for them, lost innocence, and the liberation of self-awareness. The collection includes an essay by Christina McNaughton, Just Another Death, which received first prize for memoir writing from the 2007 PEN Prison Writing Contest. Lamb, author of the acclaimed Shes Come Undone (1992), continues to offer readers an intimate look at women struggling to maintain their humanity and find self-expression.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

November 15, 2007
Novelist Lamb's ("I Know This Much Is True" second collection of writing by the students in his writing workshop at the maximum-security York Correctional Institution in Connecticut, after "Couldn't Keep It to Myself"(2003), also focuses on the inspiring and raw emotions of women sharing the good and bad memories that shaped them. The 20 women whose work is featured here18 inmates and two of Lamb's cofacilitatorsshow that writing is not just a way of capturing their most private thoughts and gripping emotions (e.g., hope, despair, courage), but also a powerful tool to foster hope and healing. They write from the heart in works ranging from poems to essays to short stories; each vignette is more compelling than the one before it. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.Susan McClellan, Shaler North Hills Lib., Glenshaw, PA

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.