What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Hell on Fire: A Memoir of the Prison I Worked In and the Prison I Lived In
As a corrections officer at an all-male maximum security prison, Sara Lunsford worked with the worst of the worst, from serial killers to white supremacists. She knew that at the end of every day, she had to try and shed the memories of the horrors she had witnessed in order to live a happy existence. But the darkness invaded every part of her life. And dealing with a stressful divorce and a mother sucumbing to cancer led her to a complete immersion in her work and eventually the bottom of a liquor bottle. Sweet Hell on Fire takes the reader on a journey with the author, from hitting rock bottom to becoming a woman who understands the meaning of sacrifice, the joy of redemption and the quiet haven to be found in hope.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
992 people want to read
About the author
Sara Lunsford
5 books29 followersSara Lunsford also writes as Saranna DeWylde and Sara Arden.
Sara Lunsford was a segregation officer at an all male maximum security facility and promoted to the rank of sergeant before leaving corrections to pursue a full time writing career. Sara’s fiction has been published under pseudonyms in magazines, anthologies and novel length work. She is currently working on other nonfiction projects and thrillers.
Sara Lunsford was a segregation officer at an all male maximum security facility and promoted to the rank of sergeant before leaving corrections to pursue a full time writing career. Sara’s fiction has been published under pseudonyms in magazines, anthologies and novel length work. She is currently working on other nonfiction projects and thrillers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 30, 2012
This had the potential to be a much better book. The experiences that Lunsford lived through were genuinely fascinating but the story was hampered by a narrative voice that relied too heavily on cliches, posturing and self-justifications. More descriptive writing, stronger characterizations and more specificity overall would have heightened the drama and created more incentive for readers to become emotionally invested in the addiction-to-redemption arc of the memoir. Lunsford talks about honesty and baring it all on the page but one always gets the sense that she's holding out on us. We're told about the prison, but her writing is never visceral enough to do justice to the gore, grit and grime of her work in corrections.
In general, there's just a lack of story-telling craft - while the narrator has all the materials necessary for a remarkable memoir, she doesn't seem to have taken the requisite time to hone her prose, to develop suspense over the course of multiple story incidents or to create momentum through the course of her narrative. It's unfortunate because the subject matter deserved a more considered and artful treatment.
In general, there's just a lack of story-telling craft - while the narrator has all the materials necessary for a remarkable memoir, she doesn't seem to have taken the requisite time to hone her prose, to develop suspense over the course of multiple story incidents or to create momentum through the course of her narrative. It's unfortunate because the subject matter deserved a more considered and artful treatment.
January 7, 2013
I found that this book brought back a flood of memories. Like Lunsford, I worked in Corrections, 21+ years for the Federal Government. I began my career with them as a Correctional Officer, and worked my way up through the ranks to a long-sought retirement. I was also a second generation law enforcement professional, and also had a legendary father to try to measure up to. I experienced many of situations Lunsford had with inmates, including some that were even worse. I, too, found myself self-medicating with alcohol. It seemed that, other than just swallowing the traumas and keeping them to yourself, the only people you could talk to about them were other Officer's who had the same experiences. And the only way to open up to those people, and get them to open up, was to loosen the inhibitions with alcohol. Even then, one had to be careful not to reveal too much, or risk as being perceived as weak. You surely could not tell your loved ones of the prison realities, as it would have scared them to death. You could seek out mental health professionals, but in my experiences, they really had no answers other than to prescribe med's to help you sleep at night. For me, it took a good friend and mentor dying in a car accident after one such drinking session for me to realize I had to change (God bless you, Leroy!). I learned to seek outlets for the rage building inside me, simple things, like going to a batting cage and pulverizing baseballs until your arms gave out. Over time, as I was promoted out of the trenches, the wounds would scar over. Yet still today I find that, at unexpected times, a news story or incident will cause the memories to rush back, ripping the scars off and exposing the truth of how inhuman people can be. I wish Officer Lunsford all the best in her future, and thank her for so bluntly telling her story of what it is to be a Corrections Officer. I wish this book would be required reading for all who wish to seek out a career in Corrections.
July 19, 2013
Wow. I’m not usually much of a memoir reader — a market that’s been done to death — but I fully recommend this one if you want to know just how much horror a person can go through and still emerge whole, better and truly triumph. This isn’t some suburban tale of boohoo cruel words. Lunsford’s account of being a prison guard while her life fell apart is harrowing from beginning to end, delivering an extra sucker punch just before redemption. From the first indelible image of trying to clean brains out of her uniform to the ultimate betrayal by a friend, you will be riveted. I’m sure the people on the train wondered what I was reading on my shiny tablet with my mouth open in astonishment.
As for-profit prisons give the US the world’s highest rate of incarceration, it’s worth knowing the effects on the people inside, on both sides of the bars. Lunsford repeats the old guards’ wisdom: for the first year you’re not suited to the work — and after the first year, you’re not suited for anything else. She identifies with the men like her father and husband, who take no guff from anyone and achieves the coveted designation of “hard ass” — the prisoners call her “Sarge” with respect. But she also sees the cost of the rigid system. It’s all about choices, like everything. Lunsford had some hard choices to make.
As for-profit prisons give the US the world’s highest rate of incarceration, it’s worth knowing the effects on the people inside, on both sides of the bars. Lunsford repeats the old guards’ wisdom: for the first year you’re not suited to the work — and after the first year, you’re not suited for anything else. She identifies with the men like her father and husband, who take no guff from anyone and achieves the coveted designation of “hard ass” — the prisoners call her “Sarge” with respect. But she also sees the cost of the rigid system. It’s all about choices, like everything. Lunsford had some hard choices to make.
January 20, 2015
I don't know if having met the author has swayed me on this story, but it was a great read. I really feel her demons being excised here. This is not a light, fun read either. It's gritty and down and dirty. You're going to feel it between your teeth and toes for a bit.
July 25, 2018
I really enjoyed reading about the author's experience as a female maximum security prison officer. While there were parts toward the end (re: therapy) I didn't agree with, I do realize this is a memoir so is this author's experience, and it was interesting to see how she overcame and dealt with extreme sexism, tragedy, and hardships in her life.
November 26, 2016
I just spent the last three days being taken on an emotional roller coaster through a year in the life of Sara Lunsford, a correctional officer who overcame herself and a traumatic incident. She came out stronger on the other side of that year despite life trying to knock her down. I straight up ugly cried at least four times throughout the memoir and laughed more than I could count. There were points while reading that I wished that I could reach through the pages and give the author a hug or an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on.
The brutal honesty and voyeuristic inside look captures you and speeds you through this book. Memoirs are not usually my cup of tea, but this one is different. It’s raw and honest from the corrections officers point of view. Ms. Lunsford is one of toughest women I have had the pleasure of speaking with, and her strength shines through the pages. I already look up to her because of her incredible talent as a writer; yet, today, I sit in awe of her. I sincerely have a newfound respect for her besides her killer writing & editing skills.
Sweet Hell on Fire was riveting and inspiring. It was raw, passionate, and the descriptive “show don’t tell” language made you feel as if you were within those pages. My words can’t begin to do this memoir justice.
The brutal honesty and voyeuristic inside look captures you and speeds you through this book. Memoirs are not usually my cup of tea, but this one is different. It’s raw and honest from the corrections officers point of view. Ms. Lunsford is one of toughest women I have had the pleasure of speaking with, and her strength shines through the pages. I already look up to her because of her incredible talent as a writer; yet, today, I sit in awe of her. I sincerely have a newfound respect for her besides her killer writing & editing skills.
Sweet Hell on Fire was riveting and inspiring. It was raw, passionate, and the descriptive “show don’t tell” language made you feel as if you were within those pages. My words can’t begin to do this memoir justice.
January 16, 2016
Detailed and gritty!
Look, I know some of you are looking at the description or cover and thinking, "there's no way I'd read that, it's not my tastes." Well, get out of your comfort zone, and read it anyway! There is an amazing story to be heard right here. This lady, Sara, went through hell and back within a year, and not only became a better person, but changed her whole being. She's strong, confident, smart, and you root for her every step of the way. Let me tell you, she doesn't disappoint either.
Sure, some of the stories are tough to read. Yet, you'd sit and watch an episode of C.S.I on the television, so what is the difference? These are real. It is someone's life. The lessons in it are more valuable than learning how to botch a crime scene with Gary Sinise..... anyway, you get my drift.
I love it and think if you gave it a shot, you'd love it too.
Look, I know some of you are looking at the description or cover and thinking, "there's no way I'd read that, it's not my tastes." Well, get out of your comfort zone, and read it anyway! There is an amazing story to be heard right here. This lady, Sara, went through hell and back within a year, and not only became a better person, but changed her whole being. She's strong, confident, smart, and you root for her every step of the way. Let me tell you, she doesn't disappoint either.
Sure, some of the stories are tough to read. Yet, you'd sit and watch an episode of C.S.I on the television, so what is the difference? These are real. It is someone's life. The lessons in it are more valuable than learning how to botch a crime scene with Gary Sinise..... anyway, you get my drift.
I love it and think if you gave it a shot, you'd love it too.
March 17, 2013
Sweet Hell on Fire, indeed. The writing is excellent; Sara Lunsford's experiences are laid bare to her readers.
It is horrifying what she survived inside and outside of those prison walls.
While majorities of women have never been, and will never be, correctional officers, Sara still has a message that all women need. We can be free from our own prisons, “You define you.”
It is my dream to find that same courage. In reading Sara's book, I discovered that I am stronger than I thought I was. It is definitely time to "rack the door", take inventory, and get rid of the crap that draws me back into my self-made prison.
Thank you, Sara
It is horrifying what she survived inside and outside of those prison walls.
While majorities of women have never been, and will never be, correctional officers, Sara still has a message that all women need. We can be free from our own prisons, “You define you.”
It is my dream to find that same courage. In reading Sara's book, I discovered that I am stronger than I thought I was. It is definitely time to "rack the door", take inventory, and get rid of the crap that draws me back into my self-made prison.
Thank you, Sara
February 13, 2016
This is an amazing story of coming out the other side, of making the decision to be happy. There are two parts to this story work and the rest of her life. This book takes you through a pivotal year in the author’s life. Sara is a strong and effective correctional officer. Sara is also a young mother struggling with her inner demons. This story tells of her struggles and will leave you feeling better about the world. I could totally relate to this story but am not strong enough (or a good enough writer) to bleed all over the page. It took incredible courage to write this story and I applaud the author’s courage. Choose to be happy.
February 6, 2017
What an amazing story! I couldn't put this book down! Poignant, humorous, thoughtful-all describe this memoir. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the prison system, gender politics, or needing a good, smart laugh!
January 23, 2013
Why did a publisher put this book out? No offense to Ms. Lunsford but her story just didn't impress me or surprise me. I have known people in prison with far more graphic stories, and I have known addicts and alcoholics with far more tragic tales (eventually she even states she isn't an alcoholic, she just drank a lot).
February 29, 2020
Gritty and raw, this memoir is unrelenting in its exploration of one uber-confident woman whose life is upended by a job she does well. She chooses to work with the most hardened criminals, a more sure path to job security and promotions. Her descriptions are graphic, both of the prisoners and staff with whom she works and of the twisted personal life that comes with the job.
December 6, 2012
One of the best books I've read in a very long time. I think every woman should read this. Sara Lunsford is an inspiration.
June 23, 2021
Read it because I thought I should, know the truth. Brutally blunt, this exposes the lowest humans can get to. She also provides informed insight into the deviant psychology of the criminal element.
October 28, 2021
Wow what a story! Pretty graphic and very disturbing at times. An incredibly strong woman who endured so much on and off the job yet came out stronger and more aware of herself.
January 11, 2013
sooooo bleh.
January 10, 2020
This is an excellent book.I knew reading it would bring on memories of things in my life that I did not understand.The child of a police officer who drank and beat his kids and wives,I wanted some insight as to why.She mentions others doing these things. Ms Lunsford was a tough woman with tough choices.We could have been siblings the way she describes her mother! She is an unwed mother at 19( check!) Gets a job at a prison in a prison town (kind of check) but she turned to booze and sex ,we differ here.She watches horrible things go down at her job.She loses her husband ,but he is always there to pick her up,she hangs at bars,she fights and she finally gets clean.It is a heartwrenching story,full of little joys and learning moments. Susan Marlowe was a wonderful narrator.She put a lot into this book! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 12, 2024
3.75/5 - Emotional, powerful read worth your time
I really enjoyed reading Sara's story. I enjoyed her writing style, learning more about the culture of prisons and hearing about her highest highs and lowest lows. I'm also currently reading "The New Jim Crow" and it's interesting to think about these two perspectives holding space in my head at the same time.
Sara is obviously a strong, smart, capable human with integrity, morals and values. I looked her up on LinkedIn and it looks like she's using those characteristics in amazing ways. As a therapist, I'm hoping she's had a better therapy experience since she wrote her book.
Definitely a worthwhile story, ultimately I have it 3.75 stars because it's well written and enjoyable but it didn't change me or my perspective on anything in life.
I really enjoyed reading Sara's story. I enjoyed her writing style, learning more about the culture of prisons and hearing about her highest highs and lowest lows. I'm also currently reading "The New Jim Crow" and it's interesting to think about these two perspectives holding space in my head at the same time.
Sara is obviously a strong, smart, capable human with integrity, morals and values. I looked her up on LinkedIn and it looks like she's using those characteristics in amazing ways. As a therapist, I'm hoping she's had a better therapy experience since she wrote her book.
Definitely a worthwhile story, ultimately I have it 3.75 stars because it's well written and enjoyable but it didn't change me or my perspective on anything in life.
May 5, 2018
Most memoirs are by people telling you how great they are, or making excuses for their behavior. This memoir is a hard, bold and brutally honest review of a very dark part of the author's life. It was an extremely graphic look at what happens behind prison walls as well, one I had to take in small doses because wow... I wasn't expecting this book to be pretty, but I also wasn't emotionally or mentally prepared for what lay between these pages. The author is a master at description so you get some seriously vivid images of the disgusting things the prisoners did, and a painful glimpse into a tragedy in the author's own life that I didn't know was coming and hurt me to my soul to read about her ordeal. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of women who overcome tragedy.
January 29, 2018
Damn, I could NOT put this book down! By turns fascinating, shocking, and harrowing (with a fair amount of black humor), this memoir makes you feel like you were there, walking beside Lunsford as she went about her duties at the prison. Lunsford does not spare herself -- the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright heartbreaking all come out onto the page. A remarkable portrait of someone doing a damn difficult job and doing it well, at very high cost. Her ability to overcome personal issues and traumas that would destroy most people is even more remarkable.
Trigger warning: There is a brutal sexual assault.
I'll be checking out Lunsford's fiction. She's a hell of a writer.
Trigger warning: There is a brutal sexual assault.
I'll be checking out Lunsford's fiction. She's a hell of a writer.
July 26, 2018
I read this for a book club. What a waste! The storyteller is so braggadocios that it makes it hard to believe anything she says. It feels like page after page of posturing with very little actual storytelling. She seems to think she is the only person on Earth who is not an idiot and treats people as such. This had a lot of potential but, it just never made it. I finished it because I felt like I had too in order to speak in an educated fashion with the other book club readers but, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
December 13, 2017
I LOVED THIS BOOK. IT SHOWS HOW THE HUMAN SPIRIT CAN SURVIVE TRAUMA AND COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE AND BE WHOLE. IT MAKES YOU LAUGH, IT MAKES YOU CRY AND MAKES YOU TAKE A LONG LOOK AT YOURSELF. FOR MANY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EMPATHIZE AND WALK SOME OF THE SAME ROADS. THE AUTHOR IS A COURAGEOUS WOMAN AND SOMEONE YOU WOULD BE PROUD TO CALL FRIEND. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS STORY TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS TO READ.
January 13, 2020
This is the reality of the life of a female prison guard. Harsh.
October 24, 2020
It shows great insight into things you may not have thought about inside prison and how it affects life not just in a job but outside too, would definitely read again.
January 3, 2022
Very straightforward and not enough detail.
March 13, 2017
An enjoyable read, easy on the brain, not a easy subject. Not an easy life.
March 9, 2017
Very gritty and straight forward. Not for the faint of heart
November 28, 2016
I'm not usually much of a memoir reader, but I fully recommend this one if you want to know just how much horror a person can go through and still emerge whole, better and truly triumph. This isn't some suburban tale of a cruel words. Lunsford's account of being a prison guard while her life fell apart is harrowing from beginning to end, delivering an extra sucker punch just before redemption. From the first burning image of trying to clean brains out of her uniform to the ultimate betrayal by a friend, you will be riveted.
As for-profit prisons give the US the world's highest rate of incarceration, it's worth knowing the effects on the people inside on both sides of the bars. Lunsford repeats the old guards' wisdom: for the first year you're not suited to the work -- and after the first year, you're not suited for anything else. She identifies with the men like her father and husband, who take no guff from anyone and achieves the coveted designation of "hard ass" -- the prisoners call her "Sarge" with respect. This respect is rare and valuable considering Sara worked with the worst of the worst, from serial killers to white supremacists. But she also sees the cost of the rigid system. It's all about choices, like everything. Lunsford has some hard choices to make.
Sweet Hell on Fire is one of the best memoirs I've read thus far. It is in all ways funny, insightful, gripping, educational, and just plain inspiring; a fascinating, frightening lens into a simmering underworld most of us would rather not think about. Ms. Lunsford is brutally honest about her years as a corrections officer, giving us a glimpse into a world most of us will never see from either side of the bars. Her story is rich in detail and she is not afraid to tell even the worst, most embarrassing parts of it.
As for-profit prisons give the US the world's highest rate of incarceration, it's worth knowing the effects on the people inside on both sides of the bars. Lunsford repeats the old guards' wisdom: for the first year you're not suited to the work -- and after the first year, you're not suited for anything else. She identifies with the men like her father and husband, who take no guff from anyone and achieves the coveted designation of "hard ass" -- the prisoners call her "Sarge" with respect. This respect is rare and valuable considering Sara worked with the worst of the worst, from serial killers to white supremacists. But she also sees the cost of the rigid system. It's all about choices, like everything. Lunsford has some hard choices to make.
Sweet Hell on Fire is one of the best memoirs I've read thus far. It is in all ways funny, insightful, gripping, educational, and just plain inspiring; a fascinating, frightening lens into a simmering underworld most of us would rather not think about. Ms. Lunsford is brutally honest about her years as a corrections officer, giving us a glimpse into a world most of us will never see from either side of the bars. Her story is rich in detail and she is not afraid to tell even the worst, most embarrassing parts of it.
March 17, 2013
I admit that part of the reason I didn't particularly like this book is it reminded me of a woman I know that I don't particularly care for, so that colored my views. But I also think there should be a limit on how many times one should be allowed to drop the F-bomb in one book. I'm not a prude; that's not the problem. I understand that there is a ton of profanity between inmates and correctional officers, so any time she quoted herself or an inmate and they cussed, I was okay with that. But she could have come up with better ways of describing things in between these quotes without resorting to profanity. I started re-writing certain phrases in my head as I read to see if I could remove the profanity and still make it powerful and strong. And sure enough, it could be done.
I get that it's a thousand times harder to be a female officer than a male officer in such a male dominated world, and that she had to be much more creative in her dealings with the inmates to make sure she had the upper hand. But I got tired of her boiling most of her interactions down to "I proved I had a bigger dick." I understand that that's basically what has to happen, but it got old.
I am also holding her to a slightly higher standard because in her bio, it states that she is a published author, though she writes under pseudonyms and none of her titles are mentioned, so she should have a pretty good idea on how to write.
I'm glad she was able to come through this baptism by fire feeling like she triumphed over all the horrible things that happened to her, and I'm glad she reunited with her husband because it seemed like he really cared for her.
I get that it's a thousand times harder to be a female officer than a male officer in such a male dominated world, and that she had to be much more creative in her dealings with the inmates to make sure she had the upper hand. But I got tired of her boiling most of her interactions down to "I proved I had a bigger dick." I understand that that's basically what has to happen, but it got old.
I am also holding her to a slightly higher standard because in her bio, it states that she is a published author, though she writes under pseudonyms and none of her titles are mentioned, so she should have a pretty good idea on how to write.
I'm glad she was able to come through this baptism by fire feeling like she triumphed over all the horrible things that happened to her, and I'm glad she reunited with her husband because it seemed like he really cared for her.
January 12, 2025
So good, in the writing, the rawness of it, and the perseverance that she had is remarkable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews