Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Like many others, I was intrigued by this show when it first appeared on Netflix.  It has great characters who are developed well (I particularly like how they introduce everyone's back stories) and great writing.  When I heard it was based on a book, I thought I'd give the book a try.

The similarities between the book and tv show pretty much end at the title.  Oh, and the main character in each is named Piper.  That's pretty much it.

But if you set aside any expectations about it being like the tv show, it's a good book on its own.  I'm not a huge reader of non-fiction, I like my reading to be more of an escape, but this is one I enjoyed.

Piper takes an honest look at the decisions she made that result in her being sentenced to 15 years in a federal prison.  She serves her sentence, fearfully, but knowing that it was her own choices that sent her there.  But while she's there she takes a look at the prison system and how it's not working.  How women serving long sentences are not being rehabilitated and prepared for a new life on the "outside" once their sentences were done.  How there is little help available to help find housing or jobs once a prisoner is released.  She is fortunate to have a home and a job waiting for her, but many of her fellow prisoners aren't in that position.

There are still a lot of interesting characters, but you don't get to know them well.  I'm sure that is, in large part, to protect the identities of the real women she encountered in prison.

One thing that bothered me throughout the book was her repeatedly telling us how often she was told that she was "too pretty" for prison, or that she didn't belong there.  It just got a bit much.

All told, it was a good read.  Not great but good. Just don't read it if you're expecting it to be like the tv show.