Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Blackby Piper KermanI recommend this memoir about a year spent in a woman's prison. Piper was a graduate of Smith college. She appeared to be a normal, smart college graduate but she happened to get into laundering drug money right out of college. She quickly left the drug business and got a regular job, boyfriend, and what appeared to be a happy life.  Then, the past caught up with her and she ended up in prison for a year. This book is her intimate account of how she learns to navigate the prison system, builds friendships with fellow inmates, and learns how to accept herself and others. It made me scared, almost come to tears, and laugh out loud!  What impressed me most of all is how the author learned to have empathy for herself and others in a way that she would never had expected.  I think many of us are challenged to find ways to adapt to difficult circumstances and/or be empathic towards others who seem unlovable or unbearable.  This book may help you to see the world a bit differently.  I know it has helped me find more compassion for myself and others and I hope it does the same for you along with entertain you!