Forgiving the Dead Man Walking

by Debbie Morris, Gregg Lewis

Details the personal struggle of Debbie Morris, a victim of kidnapping, rape, torture, and attempted murder, and her journey towards forgiveness of her abductor, Robert Willie

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Memoir, Biography, Christian, Religion, Crime

251 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how anyone could rate this book lower than 5 stars. It is simply the true account of a victim of a horrible crime and her road to forgiveness and healing. No plot to pick apart, or under-developed characters. The writing was simplistic, as some reviewers criticized, but to me that makes her more real, more normal, which led me to associate more and sympathize more and get more from her story.

This account was very powerful. It's easy to sympathize with victims of horrible crimes, for the crimes that they had to endure, and I have spared thoughts for their lives afterword, but this book really brought it home. The emotional scars; it's like they never really can get away from it, never forget. I had never really considered that, not REALLY. Or the difference in her relationships after the crime, how people just wanted her to move on. Like they could understand what was going on inside of her? I admire her strength and her courage and I'm so sorry that there wasn't someone who could just hold her and make it all better, but that's not the way life works, and it probably wouldn't have helped much anyway.

I'm so very thankful Debbie was able to find forgiveness and healing, and while she had a long road, find peace in the end. The chain of events started that fateful night have all contributed to the person she is today, and I think she should be proud of that person. She has done a lot of good.

She touches on a lot of elements, and what resonated most with me was God's role, and how important a spiritual relationship is to your peace. Also about forgiveness. Forgiveness is such a hard thing, and so many of us hold grudges over things that are way less heinous than what Debbie experienced, and yet even she was able to find it. I think that is so absolutely vital to our spiritual well-being.

I could gush more, but you really must just read the book for yourself. It will definitely make you think. I'm glad Debbie chose to share her story and I hope that it affects others the way it has affected me.

[booklady]

The first part of Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story is about Debbie’s experience as the victim of a violent crime. But as the title indicates, this is a book about forgiveness. I learned about it in a seminar I attended for work in preparation for the liturgical season of Lent.

I read Debbie’s book in two very short evenings and highly recommend it, whether or not you’ve read Helen Prejean's book, Dead Man Walking, which I had not. Personally I was glad I hadn’t. Although I still want to; I'm glad I was able to be hear the victim’s side of the story first. As one of Willie's several victims—those familiar with the 1995 film adaptation of the book are likely to be confused on some fairly significant points—Debbie clarifies several misapprehensions created when literary license was taken for simplification’s sake. No one ever contacted Debbie about her abuse; she survived. The other young woman didn’t. The crime occured when she was a minor (16) and it was assumed she would want to 'put it behind her'.

The truly wonderful thing about this book—and Debbie herself—is that we have a real story written simply and plainly about all the ways, reasons, and people one woman needed to forgive in order to heal herself; included in that list, were herself and God.

Beautiful read.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

Most everyone has heard about the movie Dead Man Walking starring Susan Sarrandon and Sean Penn. You may have even heard of the book, by the same name, it was based on which was written by Sister Helen Prejean. What you may not have heard about is Debbie Morris' book, Forgiving the Dead Man Walking. Morris is one of his victims who not only lives to tell her story, but tries to find forgiveness so that she can no longer be called a victim.

I read this book after watching the movie and reading Sister Prejean's account and I think it essential reading to get another view. Prejean's book is powerful and makes wonderful and scary points about the justice system and death row. She also looks at the victim's families and how it effects them but she cannot capture Debbie Morris' feelings and experience.

I think this is a great book that is packed with emotion but yet is not emotionally-driven. Morris takes us to the time and her what her experience was in the most honest way she can. We see her after the crime trying to put her life together and then mentally rebuild herself.

The reason I gave this book 3 stars is that even with a co-author I did not feel this novel was the well-written. This is more the editing side than the content.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Helen Prejean’s book, “Dead Man Walking” doesn’t mention Debbie Morris; it focuses instead on Sister Helen’s relationship as spiritual advisor to Robert Willie, a death row inmate in Louisiana. Debbie, however, was one of Willie’s victims, and here she tells the story of her ordeal and escape from Willie, and her testimony which helped send Willie to death row. Morris spoke at our church recently. Her path to forgiveness was not quick or easy. She managed to finish high school, and started college but she was too haunted by her capture to do well at college. Ultimately, she realized that she had to forgive many other people before she could forgive Willie. It is difficult to read about Debbie’s capture but inspiring to read about her determination and clear headedness which helped her survive.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debbie Morris tells her story of surviving a violent crime and the power of forgiveness. It was quite a journey, well told and easy to read. She forgave people to heal herself and explains that does not justify wrong doings, it allows her to live a fuller life.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true story that everyone should read. Written simply and clearly Debbie Morris details her horrible trauma at the hands of a pair of rapists and killers.

The book describes her path since the abduction, leading to being able to forgive her captors. It was a long and difficult path, but one that I think we can all learn from. It was only after she was able to come to the position of being able to forgive that she could recover and move on from the ordeal. The refusal to forgive and desire to hang on to the hate will only eat you up.

I like that her forgiveness didn't make her seem weak and glib. What she endured was awful but not unforiveable. Not unforgetable or un-punishable, but possible to forgive.

The main perpetrator was executed and wasn't believed to ever show any remorse, so the act of forgiveness was for herself, for her own recovery and sanity.

Well done for sharing with us the journey I say !

This book will be an encouragement for anyone struggling with unforgiveness.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely captivating.
As a St. Tammany resident, it was both fascinating and horrifying to read this account and recognize locations and surnames. The book is not written by a "writer" but I didn't feel that it took away from the experience, but rather enhanced it. It was just an honest retelling and I appreciated that.
My in-laws are related to the Willie's and have stories of growing up with Robert and his father (who is even in a home video of theirs) so to have them comment on the story is even more interesting... and chilling.

It is also gratifying to see that Debbie was able to heal and not succumb to the insatiable hunger of revenge and bitterness. Amazing.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Morris tells a harrowing tale with such distance, it doesn't seem real. This was a quick read, but didn't shed any new light on the Dead Man Walking story for me.

[Debby Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Insightful, engaging and hard to put down. The story of a courageous woman who endured unimaginable horror, suffered from the aftershocks of the ordeal, and then like a phoenix up from the ashes, she rose. The authors deep faith in God and His grace, is humbling and inspiring.

[Jan Talkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written book about a horrible true life incident. I appreciate Debbie Morris' grappling with Sister Prejean's stance and Ms Morris' own views of the death penalty. Even after all these years, it is still a good book with a good lesson.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was only 9 yrs. old when this happened but I can still remember my parents talking about it. We lived about 20 miles from Frikes Cave, the place where Faith Holloway was killed and Debbie was taken to during that weekend. We used to leave our doors unlocked back then. When this happened it was the worst. Thing in our town that anyone could remember. We started locking doors and windows and I had to be back home before dark.

Where Frickes Cave was is now the Bogue Chitto State Park. I walked down through the gorge and I admit it did give me a weird feeling. I always wondered how something so bad could happen in such a beautiful place.

This book is wonderful. It give Debbie's story which I appreciate. She helped me to think a lot about how important forgiveness is.

Another book that has something to do with this story is Victims of Dead Man Walking by Michael L. Varnado.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the true story of one of the victims of Robert Lee Willie, who was portrayed by Sean Penn in the movie "Dead Man Walking". I was able to hear Debbie Morris speak in person about her experiences during and after her abuction and assault, and I must say her message was the most inspiring and unforgettable I've ever had. Her honesty about her spiritual and emotional struggles and her journey to forgive her attackers is awe inspiring. Give this book a chance, I think you'll find it a blessing.

[Melva · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a true account of a victim who survived rape and being kidnapped by two escaped convicts who had just killed another girl. She talks about the challenge of her Christian faith and how abuse can affect one's psyche and how you can keep it inside, to a degree.
I'd like to have seen more depth in the book, but this is just a woman, a victim and not a professional writer. I did like the end - her honesty stood out.

[Beth Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris tells her true story of being kidnapped and raped when she was 16, in Louisiana in 1978. One of her kidnappers was executed for his crimes in 1984, and this is her story of the incident and the road to forgiveness. The Sean Penn character in the movie Dead Man Walking was a composite of Morris's kidnapper and another man ministered to by Sister Helen Prejean, played by Susan Sarandon in the movie. Morris has a powerful message about the healing power of forgiveness.

[Woody Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendously impactful book about the power of forgiveness. I read it a few years ago and thought of it again when I recently read Picking Cotton which artfully explores the same themes from a very different perspective. The message of both books is unmistakable: one who is done a great wrong can only suffer more by hanging onto the hurt and the hate. It is only through forgiveness that recovery and redemption can be found.

[David Szatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very much a companion to "Dead Man Walking." While the events in this book are not totally reflected in Prejean's book (and the movie is actually a composite of 2 separate individuals), Morris is a real life survivor of one of those men. The book bares in a powerful way the very real evil that was done to her. But she also shows her courage to write about her own process to forgive and the freedom that it brought.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my friend Debbie. I didn't know her story until about a year after we met -she just began to share it when she found out about the movie Dead Man Walking and was contacted and asked to tell her story. Very disturbing for me because it is painful to think of what she went through. What an incredible person she is!

[Lena Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a hard book to find. I've bought tons of these as gifts. The true story behind Dead Man Walking. An incredible journey of faith by the woman who survived the crimes committed by the rapist and killer made famous in the movie Dead Man Walking. Is there any crime, any hurt, any person beyond the power of forgiveness? An incredible story.

[Bill Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Morris in her book Forgiving the Dead Man Walking, demonstrates a powerful path to healing and forgiveness. This autobiography helped me reflect on the reality of forgiveness, and how anger and shame inhibit the ability to forgiveness. She brings the reader from the depths of her despair to her reconciliation with Sr. Helen Prejean. Again this book is on the top of my list!

[Kate Cotter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, chops and changes a little, but an interesting insight into the seemingly endless struggle the author endured after being the victim of a crime that became a motion picture. The author details how she came to a point of being able to forgive her perpetrators and it is an inspiring message in forgiveness.

[Sarah Frobisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It is a profound account of a woman's battle with forgiveness as it intersects with capital punishment and the profound effect these have on her and those around her. This book will challenge you and get you thinking.

[Pete Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good autobiography of one of the survivors from the real-life story behind Dead Man Walking. Shows her journey through life afterwards and how she came to a position of forgiveness. Good insights into coping with an awful situation.

[Tracy Legrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years after reading Dead Man Walking, but it was really interesting to hear the perspective of a survivor. The writing style is sometimes awkward, but I appreciated Debbie's honesty about her struggles in coming to terms with her life after the attack.

[Jim Burroway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- can write about forgiveness than her. An amazing story. I read it perhaps ten years ago (?) when it first came out, and it is still my reference point on what forgiveness really means. It's not what you think.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book BEFORE I read Dead Man Walking. I think she does a very good job of giving a voice to the victims of murderers.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful story about forgiveness....it is clear on how we are all called to respond.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very inspiring

[Trish Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of a girls journey from victim to forgiving woman. Compelling read.

[Kansas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of the woman (girl at the time) raped by the Dead Man Walking (movie, Sean Penn), her story of survival and forgiveness.