This Book is Free and Yours to Keep: Notes from the Appalachian Prison Book Project

by Connie Banta (Editor), Kristin DeVault-Juelfs, Destinee Harper

Genres: Nonfiction

242 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2024

Reviews

[j :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the foreword to the afterword—and every page in between—this is a magnetically poignant and expertly crafted collection of stories, poems, reflections, and artworks shared from the most colorful and intimate parts of justice-impacted individuals’ souls. I’m beyond moved and grateful to read every word and take in every drawing. I hope to one day live in the world APBP imagines: a love of books persists evermore, but bars don’t bind us.

[Heather Laskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a good overview about the Appalachian Prison Book Project and included letters from prisoners about what the project meant to them. It is a population I don't normally think about, so it was fascinating to see this insight.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick impressions: The book overall is an easy read. It is also a powerful document of the human spirit. It is also an important book about the region and the impact of the prison industrial complex in the region.

(Full review with additional reading notes available on my blog soon.)