In this true and inspiring book, a unique and transcendent friendship rises from the depths of a shocking crime and a devastating miscarriage of justice.
Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape and eventually identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken---but Jennifer's positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. He was released after serving more than a decade in prison for a crime he never committed. Two years later, Jennifer and Ronald met face to face---and forged an unlikely friendship that changed both of their lives.
In their own words, Jennifer and Ronald unfold the harrowing details of their tragedy, and challenge our ideas of memory and judgment while demonstrating the profound nature of human grace and the healing power of forgiveness.
In 1984, at the age of 22, Ronald Cotton was convicted of raping Jennifer Thompson and imprisoned for 11 years. After he was exonerated, he forgave his accuser, and together they tell their story in this work. Narrator Karen White's tense delivery suggests Jennifer's fear during the rape and the long-term trauma she suffered afterwards. White also mirrors Thompson's regrets and her resolve that Cotton receive restitution. In contrast, Richard Allen's characterization of Cotton suggests his na•veté as a young black man accused of rape. Allen reflects Cotton's initial compliance with the police, his anger at the horrors of prison, his growing faith over the years, and his gratitude for those who helped him achieve his release. Both narrators successfully portray the development of the friendship between Cotton and Thompson-Cannino. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
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