The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (Oprah's Book Club Summer 2018 Selection)
Written by Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin and Bryan Stevenson
Narrated by Bryan Stevenson and Kevin R. Free
5/5
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About this audiobook
Oprah's Book Club Summer 2018 Selection
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.
“An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity.”
—Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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 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.
This program includes a forward written and read by Bryan Stevenson.
Praise for The Sun Does Shine audiobook:
"The incredible details of Hinton's trial and eventual release are narrated in an honest, easy style by Kevin R. Free...He captures the Southern rhythms of Hinton's speech with a natural cadence that brings us closer to his pain." — AudioFile Magazine
"Kevin R. Free performs this work with flashes of anger cast over a deep humility, and captures the sense of humor that Hinton was, incredibly, able to hold on to during his long years in solitary confinement...This is a story that enrages and inspires." — New York Times
Anthony Ray Hinton
ANTHONY RAY HINTON spent nearly thirty years on death row for crimes he didn’t commit. Released in April 2015, Hinton now speaks widely on prison reform and the power of faith and forgiveness. He lives in Alabama.
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Reviews for The Sun Does Shine
231 ratings23 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is amazing! I absolutely love the way he brings us in to his surroundings so beautifully and effortlessly. I have spent time in prison myself, but on death row, not as long, and I wasn’t innocent- and As I was reading I could smell prison again just hearing him give such a great description. We need prison reform and I hate that it takes cases like this to make people see it.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5what a stunning story of love, faith, forgiveness, and redemption!!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great read! And the narrator of the audiobook was amazing
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A heartbreaking story beautifully written about a broken justice system, racism, poverty, unfairness but above all, hope, love, perseverance, grit and the power of imagination.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very enlightening. Not what I expected for a man whose life was destroyed by a lie.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every person on earth who can read should read this book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So heartbreaking. Lots of crying but I was hanging on with each word.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If you ever consider reading a book, please start with this one. Worth every second!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was hard. This horrified me both as a law student and as a person. You cannot be unbothered after hearing what Hinton went through on death row. All the injustice, the hardships, and cruelties. It has been a long time since a book has made me cry this much...
One thing I must mention is that I am an atheist. However, I felt all the things Hinton mentioned about his faith and his religion. And although I don't share it, I felt it and I understood him fully. And I think that was beautiful.
I think more people should read this and reflect on prisons, capital punishment, and justice systems in general. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loved listening to it on car rides. A great story unravels as we visit a case which initially starts as an it will solve itself in my favor and ends up in I am in death row. But hope never dies.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5life-changing read... I am absolutely certain that this should be required reading material
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved this book, I have asked several of my family members to read it. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing! What an amazing SMS inspiring story! I’m glad Anthony got his Justice
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book! Insightful. Honest! Loving and filled with compassion and hope! It’s so wrong what happened to Anthony! But it’s so beautiful how he yielded to God I love his mother. I love my son! Reading his book has changed me in many ways. One way is I have much more compassion for my son. Thank you Anthony for the love you shared with Henry and the others on death roll. Lester is a blessing to us all!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Love this book it shows how much hate we have in one another and hurdles we must over come sad that his mother did not see him released but it shows the power of belief
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The beginning was a little confusing it felt as if it was a complaint book, however it did caught my attention. I kept reading and the more I read the more tears there were in my eyes. It is a heartfelt story and a very personal one too. I highly recommend this book, it is one of those everyone should have read at least once.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Best book I read this year. I am inspired by Ray’s good heart and how he could find hope and make the best of his living Hell.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It brought to light how white children of racist parents are taught to hate black people and how most black children are taught to love and know God but to fear white people because of what can happen to them if they don’t comply. It is still like that in this country but More so in the South. This innocent man had to endure death row for 30 yrs of his life and we know if he was white it would never had taken that long! Racism is such a terrible thing created in the United States but Ray kept faithful in his beliefs and I feel as unfair as it was for him to lose 30 yrs of his life to write about his experience and to forgive the wrong done to him! This is a life changing book to read and every person should read it maybe required in middle school to help see how we all need to learn not to hate and be racist toward one another! It’s in the 10 commandments! Love thy neighbors as thyself! Do unto others as you would have done to you! Basically, do the right thing! There is do much more in this book and I admire Anthony Ray Hinton for the ways he found to keep himself sane in that awful prison for all those years and to be able to write how he did it! We all need to change for the better! What a more wonderful world this would be if we could stop racism! Amen!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What an amazing book one that will break your heart and see the love of Christ. A modern day Joesph
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Life changing like Victor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”. The human mind and spirit is amazing. Thank you for not giving up. We are all brothers and sisters and have a privilege to serve and to love each other.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A heart wrenching and tragic story of one mans fight for the freedom that was stolen from him. Anthony Ray Hinton is an absolute hero and warrior.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beautiful, heart wrenching and eye-opening story. Highly recommend. Hard not to blow through it. Finished the audio book in 3 days.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ray, thank you for sharing your story how your suffering could be transformed into bringing hope and joy to people.
Great to reading