This book is powerful and unputdownable; an incredible testament to the indefatigable spirit of a man facing an injustice so blatantly clear, that it's stunning he survived at all, much less thrived and is able to tell his his story in such an astoundingly beautiful way. This book is the definition of narrative-nonfiction. It reads like a novel, and breaks your heart as you let in sink in that it is indeed a true story of unspeakable injustice. But speak Anthony Ray Hinton does, and he does it so well, painting a picture of his death row home of nearly 30 years so vividly, that he takes your breath away as you read his experiences. While this book certainly stands on its own, if you've read Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy, this a must read follow-up to that book. Mr. Stevenson fought tirelessly for Ray through his Equal Justice Initiative and talks about Ray's case in Just Mercy. The Sun Does Shine, we hear Ray's story of hope and survival in his own words. This is an important book. I will be recommending it to everyone.

This is a difficult book to read but because it is a true story, and very interesting, you also hate to put it down. It was very well written. You can’t help but feel the frustrations and disappointment in Ray’s story. How sad there was so much racism and corruption in Alabama ~really throughout the Deep South~ in the early seventies. No one wanted to listen to a convict on death row that was saying he was innocent. And even fewer people wanted to even try to help because he was poor. His nine siblings didn’t try to help him. Ray’s Mother and his best friend Lester believed in him and loved him unconditionally- I came away with great respect for these two even without meeting them. A good book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

I received an advanced copy of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a gut-wrenching book. It's hard to explain how a book about an innocent man's time on death row was life affirming and hopeful, but Anthony Ray Hinton's story is just that. I will be mentally and emotionally processing this book for the rest of my life. In a world where so many horrible things are happening, where there is so much hate, this book gave me a lot to think about.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2280498435?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Hinton writes with a perspective that is almost unimaginable to most of us. His perseverance and optimism is the foundation from which he writes his story. The system fails him over and over again for years and years yet he finds the strength and resources with the love of his mother and a childhood friend to continue on. His story is a must read and very well written.

This is the memoir of Anthony Ray Hinton, a black man from Alabama who was falsely accused and convicted of three robberies, two of which resulted in the deaths of the victims. Hinton was sentenced to death and spent 28 years on death row before being exonerated. This was a difficult book to read, but an important one, whether you are for or against the death penalty.
I was amazed at how positive the author remained even as his appeals were denied time and time again. It was upsetting to see the part money and racism played in Hinton's conviction. If he had been able to afford a better defense, if he had been white, I'm sure he never would have been arrested, much less convicted. It's scary to think that this type of broken judicial system exists in our country today.

This is a powerfully tragic life story of a man sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. His inspirational tale needs to be heard by one and all as a true testament to hope and resiliency.