A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit.In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his … would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free.
But with no money and a different system of justice for a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. He spent his first three years on Death Row at Holman State Prison in agonizing silence–full of despair and anger toward all those who had sent an innocent man to his death. But as Hinton realized and accepted his fate, he resolved not only to survive, but find a way to live on Death Row. For the next twenty-seven years he was a beacon–transforming not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, fifty-four of whom were executed mere feet from his cell. With the help of civil rights attorney and bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, Hinton won his release in 2015.
With a foreword by Stevenson, The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times. Destined to be a classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton’s memoir tells his dramatic thirty-year journey and shows how you can take away a man’s freedom, but you can’t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.
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Excellent read. This story reminds us that our great nation still carries the sin of racism to this day. That sin extends into our justice system which is supposed to guarantee equality for all peoples. This is the one crime for which no punishment can make whole.
The strength of Anthony Hinton throughout his ordeal is extraordinary. How would anyone deal with not only wrongful conviction but being on death row for that conviction?
He is an amazing person whose faith has carried him throughout his life.
This was one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. It is Anthony Ray Hinton’s story about how he was falsely accused of a crime and put on death row in Alabama for 30 years until he was finally released. It is a great companion book to Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. Bryan was the attorney that finally got Anthony freed. Bryan’s book is more about the terrible state of the justice system in Alabama whereas this book makes it all feel more personal because it is the true story of one man, told in his own words.
Although the story Anthony Ray Hinton told made me sad and angry, it was uplifting through out because it was told in his perspective and he had such a positive attitude through most of his time in prison. He is an incredible man to go through what he went through and still be able to forgive. The story was about forgiveness and hope and the fact that every life matters. Anthony Ray Hinton chose to look at the joy in his life rather than the negative and that is something that is relatable for all.
I actually listened to the audio which was incredible and may have made it even more powerful. At one point I had to look at the CD to see if Anthony was reading it himself as the dialogue was so emotional. He was not. However, Anthony spoke for about 15 minutes at the end of the book to talk about what his life has been like the past 3 years and how he survived his ordeal.
Can Oprah be wrong? I saw Oprah and Ray Hinton on a morning show talking about this book. It is a very eye-opening, maddening tale of woe that proves hope in the dark can light your way.
If you are hesitant to read this book, I recommend you take a chance on gaining a new perspective of the ways of the world for someone else. Read it, mull it over and mind stash it to broaden your view of the world.
An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity.
Heartbreaking as well as hopeful. For a man who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, Ray Hinton is an eloquent writer and speaker. He has forgiven and moved on to a place of love. He works with the Equal Justice Initiative where Bryan Stephenson assisted him in his fight for freedom.
It’s a story everyone should read.
Eye opener regarding our justice system
This book needs to be read. It’s not an easy read, but this is a voice that needs to be heard. We cannot allow this kind of thing to continue to happen.
A very interesting book. It showed how difficult it is for a black person to get justice in the south.
What an amazing, important book. Hard, sad, and even funny.
A must read!!!
Another client of the attorney shown in “Just Mercy”. Tragic and compelling story of the failure of justice for African Americans in the South.
The author was imprisoned for many years, for a crime he did not commit. When coming back into the world with the sunny disposition that was his nature, he felt no animosity towards those that held him captive. In fact, as it turned out, the prisoners, his neighbors, and the guards while in prison, were all fond of him.
A great story beautifully written.
It is incredible how the justice system has failed so many poor, and especially minority people, particularly in the South. The book was a real eye-opener, and inspired me to read more about Brian Stevenson.
At first I thought this would be a slow book to read. I couldn’t imagine I would get so involved in the story. But i got hooked and couldn’t put it down. Wow, what can I say? Great book.
A gripping account. The author had 30 years of his life stolen, being placed on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, never knowing when he might be murdered. A shocking indictment of Alabama’s criminal justice system, and it makes you wonder just how many innocent people have been executed by their State. The author’s approach to the awful injustices which he faced is inspiring.
Ray Hinton is a remarkable man who can share his story of wrongful conviction and 30 years of time served on Death Row as an innocent man and after all that he is inspirational and forgiving of all people who played a part in this tragedy.. we could all learn a lot from this man and his story.
Slow
This book had been on my “to read” list for a while. I finally got a copy of the book and read it in two days! This is definitely one of the best and most powerful books I’ve read. Anthony Ray Hinton shares more than just his story – he encourages readers with his faith. I cannot begin to imagine how he managed to “hang in there” for 30 years knowing he was innocent. The frustration, the anger, the disbelief, the sorrow, the injustice, the choices, the hope, the love, the light, the perseverance, the freedom – what a reading experience. Thank you, Mr. Hinton for sharing!
Wow! Amazing! Anthony Ray Hinton is an amazing man. This memoir of Hinton’s experience of being falsely accused, tried, and convicted to death row where he stayed for fifteen years before being exonerated… Hinton said, “…Pain and tragedy and injustice happen – they happen to us all. I’d like to believe it’s what you choose to do after such an experience that matters the most – that truly changes your life forever.” If I was still teaching, I would make this book a required reading for my senior classes.
I will recommend this memoir to several bookclubs. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.