Amanda Knox has written at length about her experiences as a wrongfully convicted murderer in her previous memoir, a book she freely admits was written to help defray the crushing debt accrued by her family while mounting her defense against multiple prosecutions in Italy. However, gaining her freedom didn't mean her ordeal was over. Her notoriety meant it was next to impossible to re-enter her previous life. For years, her name and face appeared in tabloids, newspapers, social media and news reports. Documentaries were made about her arrest and subsequent trials. Movies purported to tell her story and crime series episodes created fictionalized accounts of the case.

After four years in prison, Knox returned to America to a different type of incarceration. It was virtually impossible for her to do the kinds of things people do in everyday life. She would be recognized in a grocery store or a bookstore. How does a young woman go on a first date without the awkward discussion about her past, assuming the other person doesn't already know her story and is attempting to exploit it? If she went to a night club, paparazzi snapped photos to sell to tabloids in which her behavior was seen as disrespectful to the memory of the murder victim (something she refers to as the "single victim fallacy")? And who would hire her who wouldn't also be attempting to exploit her name and reputation? How could she be simply Amanda Knox again without all the baggage attached to her name?

Knox frankly and eloquently discusses these ordeals and more in Free: My Search for Meaning. She puts her life under unblinking scrutiny, chronicling her struggles as a "free" woman, owning up to some of the mistakes she made after her liberation and her misadventures. She was an unwilling celebrity, someone who never asked to be notorious, but people believed they knew her, made assumptions about her, tried to befriend her or uttered threats against her.

One of the first people who extended a welcoming hand was a newspaper editor who offered her a minimum wage job writing reviews for the West Seattle Herald under a pseudonym. She could remain anonymous by screening movies in dark theaters, and on those occasions where she interviewed people in public, she presented herself as Emile Monte. (The story of how she created her pen name is reminiscent of Stephen King/Richard Bachman. She chose Emile because it was a character from one of her grandmother's favorite childhood novels and Monte because of a can of Del Monte peas in her pantry. Many of those articles can still be found online.)

The book revisits some of her experience in prison, including the depths of her despair and the people who handed her a lifeline, including a prison priest with whom she could have philosophical discussions despite her disbelief in his religion. Section headings are drawn from Dante—over the course of the decade after she was found innocent she progressed from Inferno through Purgatory to Paradise and beyond. Now she is happily married with a couple of children and working for projects associated with wrongly accused/incarcerated people She has steadfastly reclaimed her personal identity and re-emerged into public life as an advocate.

The most fascinating section of his book is her account of how she reconnected with the man who doggedly prosecuted her, Giuliano Mignini. She decided that, although the man had never relented in his public claim that—regardless of the decisions handed down by higher courts—he believed her prosecution was justified. Still, she wondered what kind of man he might be in private, so she reached out to him, first by mail. Their exchanges, some of which Knox quotes in the book, are fascinating. No matter how hard she tried, she could never get Mignini to acknowledge her innocence or the damage he caused her, but they did form an interesting bond. They talked about her children and his grandchildren. They even met in person in 2019, a private encounter that Knox had never previously disclosed. Although she could never get precisely what she wanted or needed from him, the relationship they formed was important to her and, it seems, to the aging prosecutor. It's a powerful testament to Knox's drive to get past her past and create a new path forward for herself.

Anything that separates people can be bridged through empathy, she writes. Although her circumstances are unique, everyone has lived through their own worst moment. When people approach her to say, "I can't imagine what you've been through," her response is a single word: Try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.

I was aware of who Amanda Knox was & a bit about her story prior to reading this book. This one hit home for me because something like this could truly happen to anyone, it just isn't something you think about. Overall the book is sad, but also very real. I can't imagine how her & her family truly made it through all of this, but it's great to see she has moved past this all & is happy in life now.

Pub Date: 25 March 2025

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda years ago. She was kind, sweet, and unremarkably normal. In the best of ways this is how I found her second book. What I found most profound and accessible is how trauma (no matter what the source) changes you and found her words in this area quite poetic.

you know how some kids were obsessed with titanic growing up? amanda knox was my titanic (right along with martha stewart). i devoured the youtube series she hosted, 'the scarlet letter reports' so when i saw she had written a memoir when browsing netgalley i was stoked!

amanda knox's writing surprised me. i knew it would be from the heart but it was also really good. every chapter does try to answer her question "what does it mean to be free?" whether it be a personal anecdote or an analysis.

maybe it's because i've been reading a lot of books centered around religion lately, but what i keep coming back to are the moments with don saulo, and how his kindness affected her beyond the prison walls.

"may your enemies become friends, or if not friends, then fools, for we are all fools at times, and may you find wisdom in the fool's mouth"

Hm yes okay something positive to say... I think she deserves to have her story told on her own terms (even if this is her second crack at it). The fact that her innocence is still questioned is pretty wild. I don't think I'd be nearly as nice or patient to the old man prosecutor who made it his personal vendetta to ruin my life.

Unfortunately the writing was very distracting and resembled a rambling, self indulgent journal entry.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Free: My Search for Meaning
by Amanda Knox

Publishing date: 3/25/25


As I get older I've taken more interest into Amanda Knox and her wrongful conviction. She's less than 2 years older than than me and has suffered through 4 years of prison after being wrongfully charged. I mean..... Can you imagine?!?

This is Amandas second book and she talks about her time in prison and the years following. I didnt  know much personal history of Amanda but this was definitely insightful. She talks about her wedding, the birth of her 1st child, and even her return trips to Italy. The woman returned to Italy to met up with her prosecutor! Talk about BRAVE! I could never. 😮

There were a few spots where my mind started to wander but then something in the book would spark my interest again. I really enjoyed the personal and sincere moments...for example Amanda shared that her daughter was born with a very rare genetic disorder.  She even met up with Rafael when she returned to Italy with her family. It felt genuine. 

I hope eventually Amanda is able to put that portion of her life behind her. But in reality, those traumatic years have shaped her into the woman she is today. I enjoyed learning a little bit about her story.

Thanks to @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the chance to read this memoir early! I recommend 😊

Summary:
After an eight year legal battle to clear her name of a crime she didn't commit, Amanda takes you behind the scenes of rebuilding her life. How did she do that? What does it look like? How did she move forward from such a traumatic experience? In her own words, Amanda Knox will walk you through it all. From behind prison walls in Italy to all the struggles of living her life, again, outside of those prison walls, let Amanda tell you the good, the bad, the frustrating, the hatred and the healing.

While I knew who Amanda Knox was, I was not one of the many who followed her case closely. There was far more I didn't know, going into the book, than I did know. Thankfully, Amanda spends the Free's prologue catching you up and summarizing the case from arrest to her long awaited freedom. That came in handy, as there was a lot I didn't know.

Amanda gives you a look at her life within the Italian prison she was kept at. She'll share how she came to view the prison Priest as her best friend, despite being agnostic herself. She shares the conversations they had and the far-reaching topics within them. You will learn how she wasn't safe from the suicide debate most prison inmates have. You'll learn how she didn't give in when others did.

Once whisked away, quickly, to finally go home, life took a new turn on her journey. She wasn't returning home the foreign study student she left. Instead, she was coming home a convicted murderer who had been acquitted, though the public's opinion was split. Amanda had to navigate rebuilding a life in the public eye while the public wasn't so forgiving. Making new friends was as hard to navigate as getting used to using door handles was. The vulnerability she tells her story with, in these early days of freedom, was eye opening for me, at the very least.

The rollercoaster ride Amanda's case was didn't end when she was acquitted. The Italian prosecutor was able to have her retried- and reconvicted- of the same crime. Which was nothing less than traumatizing for both Amanda, and her family. Desperate to not go back to the hell of the prison, Amanda shares the plan her Mom had come up with, if her daughter was ordered to go back to Italy. Thankfully, the case was taken to Italy's highest court and she was declared not guilty. This verdict officially put an end to this nightmare. Amanda was free and was stay that way.

I was repeatedly impressed with how vulnerable Amanda was in recounting her nightmare. She was forthcoming with the highs and the lows. The betrayals created by her own naiveté and the ones done from another's weakness. As I read her words, my heart broke every time she was slighted or her words twisted into something that fit someone's narrative. I felt a small letdown with every injustice she had to live through. I was as frustrated and blown away with how poorly her case was handled from the get go and how the Prosecutor brought so much of the public narrative to life.

Having said that, I cheered on the victories. I cheered on her being set free and her case coming to an end. I cheered on when a friend was genuine. I happily read how she met her husband as they built their life together. I was as mystified as her family was when she began communicating with her prosecutor. She was able to be more forgiving than I would've been able to. And, I cheered on their meeting as I hoped she'd hear the very words she deserved to say: I'm Sorry. I was wrong.

I was highly impressed with Free. Amanda is a great writer and is able to relate her thoughts and feelings with the reader so well. Her writing was so clear and thoughtful. How she survived this nightmare I will never know, but she did it with a maturity no adult involved had. I applaud her, her strength and her healing. I applaud her bravery to, once again, retell her nightmare with the focus of healing from it.

Overall, I misunderstood what this book was going to be about. That is ultimately my fault, as I thought it was more about the case. I do find it fascinating coming from Amanda opposed to another’s POV.

Personally, I’m still unsure on the case and that’s my own personal stance - which lead me to not fully enjoy the book as I could have.

Free goes into a bit more detail on Amanda's time in prison, her life outside of prison as well as some mental health struggles and her second trial.
Amanda has had a pretty rough time - I can't imagine going through what she has.
I will say Free is a little more repetitive. I didn't love it the way i was fascinated by Waiting to Be Heard. Even with Free being released soon, more has happened in her case that isn't included.

If you're interested in Amanda's story, I recommend reading her memoirs.

Thank you netgalley for this Arc. Amanda Knox's story is one that has stuck with me for years. this memoir was insightful and made me self reflect on how I absorb information from the media regarding people's individual lives. Also its on sight if I ever see Giuliano Mignini

I'm actually very glad to see Amanda Knox taking control of her own story again—so much was written about her as a young woman in an impossible, terrible situation, that her voice seemed to matter least of anyone. This is less the story of what happened (or didn't happen) in Italy, and more about a famous person, with a famous name for all the wrong reasons, reintegrating into a society that is full of opinions about her. The sections on her life in prison are also fascinating and again, totally unique to her experience. If you had any experience of the media melee around her case, I would highly recommend reading this book to hear from the person at the center of it. RIP Meredith Kercher.

I had always been curious about the “journey” and story of Amanda Knox, but never really dove into it. This book definitely gave a glimpse into the life and mind of Amanda Knox. This book is more so dealing with life post arrest and the trauma that happened after.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley, Amanda Knox, and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Going into Free, I knew very little about the Amanda Knox case. In this memoir, she touches on the trial, her life incarcerated, and her personal search for true freedom. I learned so much about what she endured, and I could deeply feel the yearning she had to reclaim her life.

Free is beautifully written, with flowing prose and a raw, introspective tone. Amanda tells her story with remarkable grace—without bitterness, but with an undeniable strength that makes this book both compelling and heartbreaking. Her ability to reflect on her experience with honesty and depth is truly moving.

This is a powerful read that I highly recommend.

It's nearly impossible to imagine what it might be like to walk in Amanda Knox's shoes, but her new book "Free: My Search for Meaning" is certainly a good place to start.

Knox goes into some detail about the crime that unfortunately made her famous—the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher while they both studied in Italy as college students—but that's not what the book is primarily about. Knox spends most of the time reckoning with the realities of prison, unwanted (and unwarranted) fame, and the continuing attempt to reclaim her truth and her life. It's brutally honest, moving, hard to relate to, but ultimately enlightening and inspiring. I'm totally baffled by people convinced of Amanda's guilt; Rudy Guede 100% murdered Meredith, and there's evidence to prove it! So why are there people who don't even KNOW his name, but DO know of and blame Amanda Knox?! If that question interest you—or you're one of those people!—you should pick this one up and be prepared to do some introspection.

The most inspiring part of this book to me, surprisingly, centered around her experience in prison. In this early section of the book, Amanda ruminates on the idea of freedom, and what it can mean to live a meaningful life regardless of your physical circumstances. She emphasizes that freedom can sometimes be more of an idea than a condition, and acceptance and purpose can exist even in the most traditionally un-free-seeming situations. And in fact, she confesses that she at times felt more of a prisoner once she was released because of all the media attention on her. She comes to the conclusion that she can't really win in the court of public opinion, and there comes a point where she shouldn't really try. All she can do is continue speaking the truth, and speaking out against the injustice that she faced to try to bring attention and hope to those in the same situation.

Amanda also spends a lot of time detailing the evolving relationship between her and her one-time prosecutor, and her drive to understand him and reconcile their adversarial positions. She accepts that though she may not ever get him to admit he was wrong or declare her innocence, she can meet him where he is and lead with empathy for his position. Empathy seems to be a main driver of mosts of her actions and interactions, and this informs her worldview and what she tries to communicate to us throughout this book.

So even though Amanda Knox's life has been extraordinary, her book "Free" tells a supremely human story full of heartbreak and healing. I really felt that I got to know her through this book, and I highly recommended giving it a read if you're at all interested in themes of wrongful conviction, trial by media, human connection, overcoming trauma and redemption. And a lot of other things too. 4.5/5 stars and a lot to unpack.

[Thanks for NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book!]

A definite testament to human strength, condition, and resilience. I’ve always had a misrepresentation of Knox’s character from what I’ve seen and read in the media and her true character shines all throughout the pages. This is a very well written memoir by a well read and educated person.
I can only hope others can extend her the same grace she has been able to afford others, even the ones responsible for her demise. This book, aside from the facts, holds something everyone needs to hear. The small truths and kindness we often devoid ourselves of. Though her situation is incredibly unique, the lessons throughout certainly apply to our own struggles and traumas. Knox’s future is endless and I am completely rooting for her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

arc book review!

free by amanda knox

i've been fascinated with the amanda knox case for years, so when i saw this on netgalley, i was immediately interested.

but... i DNFed at 50%. not because it wasn’t well-written—amanda is a fantastic writer, and her reflections on trauma, and healing were valid. there were moments i really connected with, but overall, i struggled to stay engaged.

maybe i’ll pick it back up at a later date, but for now, it just wasn’t holding my attention the way i hoped.

thank you to netgalley and grand central publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is allll about perspective. I think Amanda Knox has given herself the gift of time and separation from the tragic events that unfolded and tossed her into the spotlight. Each chapter told both a story, from her time in prison to years later, meeting the prosecutor who worked to convict her. But with each story, she also offers us insight into the life lessons that have led to her finally feeling….Free.

I was very intrigued to read all about Amanda Knox and the trial in addition to what came after, but all I was left with was a dull book. I don't like to typically rate memoirs as I don't want to discount anyone's experiences; however, this one was hard to get through.

Definitely my own fault — I didn't realize this was the second memoir written by Amanda Knox and coming in, I had expectations of her recounting her experiences with the trial and how she was wrongfully convicted. But even without that knowledge, this book was still heavy in terms of how Knox recounts her transformation past the trial and having been exonerated.

This case was an interesting one to follow when it happened and I'm happy Amanda Knox is living a life she truly deserves.

I was looking forward to reading Amanda's recollection of what she went through and how she was able to find the strength to rebuild her life.
I was thinking this would start at the beginning but it starts after she is "Free". I didn't read her first book and wished I' would have before reading this book. I thought this book became repetitive and it felt that it made the book extra long. I appreciate her sharing her experience but this book wasn't for me..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.