What do you think?
Rate this book
Stolen Time: One Woman's Inspiring Story As An Innocent Condemned To Death
In 1976 a 28 year old mother of two and her partner were wrongfully sentenced to death by the Florida courts for the murder of two police officers. Sunny Jacobs would not taste freedom again for 17 years, by which time her two children were estranged, her parents were dead, and her partner had been executed.
Hardcover
First published May 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 3, 2014
"I now know from hard-earned experience that each of us, male or female, must at some point take responsibility for ourselves and our lives. That's the way it is. "
This is the biography of Sunny Jacobs, a woman who, at the age of 28 she was sentenced to death for her role in the murders of two policemen in Florida, a crime she never committed. Her death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and in total, she spent seventeen years in jail, five of which were in solitary confinement. It is an incredibly moving book and makes you think long and hard about whether the death penalty should be allowed.
The book opens with Sonia describing her early years- she got pregnant as a teenager and swiftly married the father of the future child, Kenny. The marraige didn't work- both were too young and immature and they ultimately separated. She moved to Miami in 1973 where she became involved with the mysterious, charismatic and troubled Jesse Tafero. The two moved in together and began trying to make things work as a family. By 1976 they'd been living together for three years and had a child together, their daughter Tina. The night that would shape the rest of their lives happened in 1976 when they were driving to Palm Beach with their friend Rhodes. Two cops pulled them over and a shoot-off happened that left both of the policemen dead. Despite there being absolutely no evidence that either of them took any part in the crime- in fact there was plenty of evidence that neither of them had done it- both were sentenced to death. Her children were taken from her and put into her parents care.
The book then goes on to describe her life in jail. She spent five years in solitary confinement where she passed the time doing yoga and meditating. She continued her relationship with Jesse, where they sent each other letters of love, hope and despair. Ultimately her death sentence was overturned to life in jail. Her parents died in a tragic aeroplane crash in 1982. Naturally she is devestated and her children are put into care. She then describes the horrific murder of her partner Jesse. Jesse was given the electric chair, where it took 13 minutes for the state of Florida to murder him- flames came out of his head while he was still alive. The inhumanity of his death can scarcely be described. Finally, in 1992 after a lengthy court process, Sonia's sentence was overturned and she was released.
"In 1976, when I went in, I was a young mother, a daughter and a wife. When I came out, in 1992, I was an orphan, a widow and a grandmother."Sonia is an incredibly inspirational person and her courage, intelligence, humanity and wit shine through in every page. What she suffered is unimaginable- it is absolutely disgusting that she was sentenced to seventeen years in jail for a crime she never committed, and her husband was brutally murdered for a crime too was innocent of. Although she has plenty to be angry and bitter about, she never loses her sense of humour, she keeps herself busy and she never ever loses her incredible sense of humanity. I was lucky enough to meet this amazing woman last year when she and her partner Peter Pringle gave a talk at my university. I highly, highly recommend this book. It is a womans story of being convicted for a crime despite ones innocence, as well as a broader reflection on the death penalty as a whole.
This is the biography of Sunny Jacobs, a woman who, at the age of 28 she was sentenced to death for her role in the murders of two policemen in Florida, a crime she never committed. Her death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and in total, she spent seventeen years in jail, five of which were in solitary confinement. It is an incredibly moving book and makes you think long and hard about whether the death penalty should be allowed.
The book opens with Sonia describing her early years- she got pregnant as a teenager and swiftly married the father of the future child, Kenny. The marraige didn't work- both were too young and immature and they ultimately separated. She moved to Miami in 1973 where she became involved with the mysterious, charismatic and troubled Jesse Tafero. The two moved in together and began trying to make things work as a family. By 1976 they'd been living together for three years and had a child together, their daughter Tina. The night that would shape the rest of their lives happened in 1976 when they were driving to Palm Beach with their friend Rhodes. Two cops pulled them over and a shoot-off happened that left both of the policemen dead. Despite there being absolutely no evidence that either of them took any part in the crime- in fact there was plenty of evidence that neither of them had done it- both were sentenced to death. Her children were taken from her and put into her parents care.
The book then goes on to describe her life in jail. She spent five years in solitary confinement where she passed the time doing yoga and meditating. She continued her relationship with Jesse, where they sent each other letters of love, hope and despair. Ultimately her death sentence was overturned to life in jail. Her parents died in a tragic aeroplane crash in 1982. Naturally she is devestated and her children are put into care. She then describes the horrific murder of her partner Jesse. Jesse was given the electric chair, where it took 13 minutes for the state of Florida to murder him- flames came out of his head while he was still alive. The inhumanity of his death can scarcely be described. Finally, in 1992 after a lengthy court process, Sonia's sentence was overturned and she was released.
"In 1976, when I went in, I was a young mother, a daughter and a wife. When I came out, in 1992, I was an orphan, a widow and a grandmother."Sonia is an incredibly inspirational person and her courage, intelligence, humanity and wit shine through in every page. What she suffered is unimaginable- it is absolutely disgusting that she was sentenced to seventeen years in jail for a crime she never committed, and her husband was brutally murdered for a crime too was innocent of. Although she has plenty to be angry and bitter about, she never loses her sense of humour, she keeps herself busy and she never ever loses her incredible sense of humanity. I was lucky enough to meet this amazing woman last year when she and her partner Peter Pringle gave a talk at my university. I highly, highly recommend this book. It is a womans story of being convicted for a crime despite ones innocence, as well as a broader reflection on the death penalty as a whole.
July 7, 2015
I believe that this is a great book and a really inspirational story, what happened to Sunny was devastating and to spend 20yrs in jail and to miss your children growing up is unthinkable and what her poor son went through just after the arrest,it makes me so angry that they were allowed to do that.
As a rule I never give up a book until it's finished and only the very rare one do I and sadly this was one of them. I read 170 something pages and while its started out interesting,her early life and meeting Jesse,having her kids and then the event that was to change her life,the trial and early days in prison,I was enjoying it but this book has 20 odd years inside to fill and it was so just so slow and boring,I'm sure that's exactly what it was like and what it felt like for her inside but I don't want to have to read about every minute of every single day of nothingness and meditation and yoga and the spiritual side of it.
Inside prison on death row I can only imagine you would have to find any way you could to survive each day and I applaud her for surviving it and I'm disappointed that I couldn't finish it or even get into the middle where I believe I would have found it interesting again, but just having to plough through it all to get there was just too boring for me.
She obviously became a much stronger woman and being inside she had to grow up as I did find her behaviours very selfish in the beginning,her kids clearly never came first as she was led around by Jesse, uprooting their lives for a man who was clearly leading her into all sorts without a care.
I think il drop it into the charity shop so that someone else can appreciate it.
As a rule I never give up a book until it's finished and only the very rare one do I and sadly this was one of them. I read 170 something pages and while its started out interesting,her early life and meeting Jesse,having her kids and then the event that was to change her life,the trial and early days in prison,I was enjoying it but this book has 20 odd years inside to fill and it was so just so slow and boring,I'm sure that's exactly what it was like and what it felt like for her inside but I don't want to have to read about every minute of every single day of nothingness and meditation and yoga and the spiritual side of it.
Inside prison on death row I can only imagine you would have to find any way you could to survive each day and I applaud her for surviving it and I'm disappointed that I couldn't finish it or even get into the middle where I believe I would have found it interesting again, but just having to plough through it all to get there was just too boring for me.
She obviously became a much stronger woman and being inside she had to grow up as I did find her behaviours very selfish in the beginning,her kids clearly never came first as she was led around by Jesse, uprooting their lives for a man who was clearly leading her into all sorts without a care.
I think il drop it into the charity shop so that someone else can appreciate it.
June 13, 2011
A terribly heartbreaking tale of the justice system going horribly wrong! 17 years in jail for a crime she didn't commit...her boyfriend executed 2 years prior to the conviction being overturned! I read this some time ago, but the 'wrongness' of it all has stayed with me!
December 9, 2022
So good, yet so upsetting. It was a bit longer than I anticipated- some of it could’ve been cut out. But it was really well done
February 23, 2019
A bit waffly at times but an interesting true story
November 14, 2019
I've read this book 4 or 5 times so far. I got it for free years ago when one of the book stores I frequent had this deal where you bought one book and got another one for free- this one was one of the choices and it stuck with me for so long.
I am honestly shocked and impressed at how well Sonia/Sunny is doing now. She is such a strong person for going through what she went through- she was wrongfully jailed and put on a death row for a death she didn't commit, missed both of her children's growing up, lost both of her parents in a plane crash whilst in jail, lost her grandma and uncle whilst in jail and her partner Jesse that was executed for the same crime he also didn't commit. Not to mention all the dirty things the state pulled on her, contemplating killing her and kidnapping her twice right before she was released.
It also makes me so so mad that those same people decided that it would be perfectly fine to take a 9 y o boy that just witnessed a murder and went through extremely traumatic event and force him into a room and start interrogating him without his lawyer being present - over and over and over.
This entire book made me so mad because Sonia didn't deserve what she went through and the entire case was just so sad. I can't imagine being forced to spend 5 years alone without any human contact and then being locked up for another 12 years for a crime that I didn't commit.
People say that the book drags on a little bit, and it did for me too, but at the same time, I've spent a couple hours reading this book- she had to spend 12 years having to go through that same monotone routine of waking up, eating breakfast, working, working out/reading/walking/visiting, eating dinner/sleeping - I would probably go insane.
It's such a sad story but at least it has a happy ending and if nothing else, Jesse's execution as gruesome as it was helped banishing the electric chair.
Screw the judge that put them in jail though and screw everyone that kept them there and every single police officer that intimidated and threatened them, their family and witnesses.
I am honestly shocked and impressed at how well Sonia/Sunny is doing now. She is such a strong person for going through what she went through- she was wrongfully jailed and put on a death row for a death she didn't commit, missed both of her children's growing up, lost both of her parents in a plane crash whilst in jail, lost her grandma and uncle whilst in jail and her partner Jesse that was executed for the same crime he also didn't commit. Not to mention all the dirty things the state pulled on her, contemplating killing her and kidnapping her twice right before she was released.
It also makes me so so mad that those same people decided that it would be perfectly fine to take a 9 y o boy that just witnessed a murder and went through extremely traumatic event and force him into a room and start interrogating him without his lawyer being present - over and over and over.
This entire book made me so mad because Sonia didn't deserve what she went through and the entire case was just so sad. I can't imagine being forced to spend 5 years alone without any human contact and then being locked up for another 12 years for a crime that I didn't commit.
People say that the book drags on a little bit, and it did for me too, but at the same time, I've spent a couple hours reading this book- she had to spend 12 years having to go through that same monotone routine of waking up, eating breakfast, working, working out/reading/walking/visiting, eating dinner/sleeping - I would probably go insane.
It's such a sad story but at least it has a happy ending and if nothing else, Jesse's execution as gruesome as it was helped banishing the electric chair.
Screw the judge that put them in jail though and screw everyone that kept them there and every single police officer that intimidated and threatened them, their family and witnesses.
September 1, 2024
The plot of this story seemed intriguing from the first second. Sunny and her husband and two kids were involved in two cops getting killed. They both got a death sentence and were falsely convicted. Sunny was imprisoned for 17 years!
In the book she tells about this time and it is incredible to manage to withstand all this that she has been through. The book showed me once more how corrupt the american legal system is from false testmonies, to Sunnys underage sun being questioned, to evidence not properly used. The time in prison was described thourogly and this was at times quite a lenghty read, but considering all those years in prison I get that.
In the book she tells about this time and it is incredible to manage to withstand all this that she has been through. The book showed me once more how corrupt the american legal system is from false testmonies, to Sunnys underage sun being questioned, to evidence not properly used. The time in prison was described thourogly and this was at times quite a lenghty read, but considering all those years in prison I get that.
June 14, 2025
the resilience of this woman while faced with not only the dark underbelly of the so-called criminal justice system in america but also truly unfortunate life event after event is truly inspiring. people like her restore my faith in humanity. however bad it gets, this book has reminded me that it is possible to retain my sense of self and my appreciation for life and the world around me.
the book itself i found very well structured and filled with immersive details that made me feel as if i was, in some minute way as i truly cannot fathom what it was like to be in this situation, in her shoes with her. a true joy to read and an astonishing story.
the book itself i found very well structured and filled with immersive details that made me feel as if i was, in some minute way as i truly cannot fathom what it was like to be in this situation, in her shoes with her. a true joy to read and an astonishing story.
June 6, 2024
I heard about this situation from a radio interview with Sunny over St. Patrick's Day weekend, 2024. There are many elegant situations in most of the book where Sunny, well, shines!! What an amazing expression of spirit and endurance in the face of such absurdity and adaptability. The last 120 pages read glaringly fast, like a roller coaster, or, more perhaps, a ski-jump: it ends with such exhilaration . I am in awe of her spiritual paths and how she, at once, kept herself grounded and was able to provide space for those around her to become grounded as well.
November 25, 2025
Parts of it were really well written and page turning ,but the book overall was very lengthy and lagged on a bit ! I didn’t feel the letters included added anything to the story they were not very deep. They could have just described her excitement of receiving letters and their importance to her mental heath .. I didn’t understand her unwavering love for Jesse even after her being locked up for so long ! I felt she lost so much and his friend put them in jail so I expected a bit more fallout between them ! I thought it could have shred more on that !
Currently reading
June 3, 2025I'm not ready to write a review as I am only starting the book, but I have sad news that Sunny Jacobs and her carer have died in a house fire in Ireland. Sunny was in her late 70s. She settled in Ireland about 15 years ago, having married an Irishman, the late Peter Pringle (died Jan 2023, aged 84), who had also spent years in prison on a murder charge before being exonerated and released.
see https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...
see https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...
July 29, 2017
Beautifully written book about a woman's time on death row and then as a lifer for a crime she didn't commit. Sunny Jacobs gives us insight how she built a new life for herself, the strong bonds she formed while in prison, her relationship with Jesse and shares her thoughts on the US criminal system. Highly recommended.
April 26, 2019
This true story should never have happened. Not only was an innocent man sent to death row & executed in the most horrific way Sunny Jacobs too, lost 17 years of her life for a crime she didn’t even commit, 5 of which was spent on death row.
How Sunny today is a lovely peace loving lady I have no idea. Brilliantly written, I just wanted to jump through the pages into the book and save them both
How Sunny today is a lovely peace loving lady I have no idea. Brilliantly written, I just wanted to jump through the pages into the book and save them both
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2019
This book broke my heart, made me laugh, made me angry and then made me hopeful all in a couple hundred pages. What happened to Jesse had me sobbing uncontrollably, he was so close to freedom and to have it snatched away in such an inhumane way was disgusting.
Sunny is an inspirational woman, I love that she has settled in my home of Ireland and hope she loves it there as much as I do.
If you love true stories, stories about life behind bars, freedom and starting over then you’ll love this book.
Sunny is an inspirational woman, I love that she has settled in my home of Ireland and hope she loves it there as much as I do.
If you love true stories, stories about life behind bars, freedom and starting over then you’ll love this book.
July 4, 2017
Gripping read, hard to believe at times that it is a true story as more and more twists and turns are revealed. A story which brings home the fact that one split decision can have devastating consequences.
October 8, 2019
I found the story interesting and read the book quickly. There seen to be so many stories like this where the authorities ignore facts in order to maintain the 'story' they are trying to prove. It's scary to think how many others have been put to death when innocent.
July 18, 2020
Heartbreaking and compelling account of one woman’s experience on Death row and of over 15 years in Prison for a crime she didn’t commit.
Sunny Jacobs is an inspiring woman who reminds us why the death penalty is so inhumane.
Sunny Jacobs is an inspiring woman who reminds us why the death penalty is so inhumane.
May 20, 2021
I absolutely adored this story and the way it was wrote. I felt every emotion and went to sleep thinking of Sunny’s plight and woke up desperate to know more.
Such a beautiful soul who taught me so much in such a short time.
My favourite book in forever.
Such a beautiful soul who taught me so much in such a short time.
My favourite book in forever.
Read
March 16, 2024Read the judicial appellate opinions and/or
Detailed Review of Sunny Jacobs Crime and Guilt, at pages 509-516 within:
The Myth of Innocence, Josh Marquis, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Volume 95, Issue 2 Winter, Article 4, Winter 2005,
Detailed Review of Sunny Jacobs Crime and Guilt, at pages 509-516 within:
The Myth of Innocence, Josh Marquis, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Volume 95, Issue 2 Winter, Article 4, Winter 2005,
November 7, 2017
Incredible story. Can't believe it's a true story. Heart breaking.
December 31, 2018
A gripping true story of one woman’s woman’s wrongful imprisonment and death sentence.
November 7, 2019
The read was good and entertaining true life experience. I recommend the read
November 12, 2022
Opinião completa: https://pordetrasdaspalavras.blogs.sa...
March 15, 2023
A true story of a great injustice. Falsely accused & Incarcerated in prison (death row) for 17 years, the strength of this lady rings clear for all to see. A compelling read.
September 25, 2023
Incredible story
May 21, 2024
Interesting insight into prison life in the US. Sad story about how easy it could be for anyone to end up in jail. Only gave it three because it was a little repetitive.
June 10, 2024
( Biblioteca)
May 3, 2024
A harrowing true story that brought forth such an array of deep emotions as I read of one of the most dreadful cases of injustice that I have ever heard of. The choices we each make in our lives can dictate the path we are then forced to walk and the consequences for those we love can be devastating. We are then forced to confront the truth that our own actions brought about not only to ourselves but to everyone close to us. This is what Sunny Jacobs faced when she and her partner Jesse Tafero were were found guilty of murder and placed on Death Row. Her story is painful to absorb and horrifying in its gruesome detail. But to read it, is to be inspired by this woman's courage, self-appraisal, honesty, and loyalty beyond measure that will break your heart. She experienced true suffering and yet remained unselfishly devoted to her children, her family and Jesse. Refusing to lose hope of ever regaining her freedom one day is what sustained her against all odds. She told her story with grit and love but most amazingly of all without bitterness! A remarkable human being.
June 9, 2010
This is an incredible story about one woman's amazing courage and strength in fighting for justice in Florida's corrupt legal system over three decades (late 70's, 80's and early 90's). Her survival instinct and ability to make do with whatever the prison system threw at her showed an amazing strength of character. However i felt the book dragged on too much and that some of the content was irrelevant to the storyline. I felt saddened by the way she was treated but delighted by her positive spirit and feel she made a huge impact on the lives of other inmates. I would recommend this book if you are able to read it in a few sittings. If you spread it over too long like i did you forget who half the character are.
January 8, 2014
I think Sunny Jacobs is an amazing woman too! She's always so positive and has such strong will power to stay the cause with HOPE and the wish to be with her children again.
I found it a little too draggy at times and some parts are not clearly linked, but I guess she wanted to weave in all the times and her feelings throughout her 17 years in prison. I felt really sorry for her for being punished for so long for something she didn't commit and for missing out all the years she could have spent with her two children. But I can't stop admiring her for her courage and strength through it all.
I found it a little too draggy at times and some parts are not clearly linked, but I guess she wanted to weave in all the times and her feelings throughout her 17 years in prison. I felt really sorry for her for being punished for so long for something she didn't commit and for missing out all the years she could have spent with her two children. But I can't stop admiring her for her courage and strength through it all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews