This book was a huge eye opener for me! A true story about an African American young man in Alabama, was wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit, then was put on death row. Astonishing how an innocent man can be convicted out of convenience for the prosecutors and the court. Somehow, this man kept a positive outlook on life, spending decades waiting for his looming death. This book has a happy ending, yet uncovers devastating truths. Thank you NetGalley for the e-reader edition. All opinions are my own.

Interesting book that i think talks about a topic that is way to rarely talked about, but sadly i felt as if the book was not very readable since the writing itself wasn't the easiest to get through.
I do love that the author is very honest with what happened and how it happens, i love that he doesn't shy away from saying that a lot of the american "Justice" style is still based a lot on racism (he doesn't use those words exactly but the list of names of the people that are currently waiting on death row and how he says specific things tell me that it seems a lot like specific names and/or skin color in America still means that you are not worth an real law work if you can found guilty more easily!)

It was a very informative book and i am defiantly interested to pick up more books on the topic of death row, to inform myself more on the topic that i so rarely hear anyone talk or write about!

Received this book as an ARC. I liked the majority of the book. Some of it was very very slow and I ended up skipping paragraphs because it was the same over and over and over. The book was very self boasting which I struggled with also. I feel so horrible for Anthony Ray Hinton. No one on this planet should ever go through what he went through. I do believe in the death penalty but only when there is 100% proof with no questions and with effective council. I don't know if this would have actually went this far or have been done if this happened in this day in age or even in the past 10 years but back then wow! I would like to think not anyways. The book was good and I hope others read it.

A memoir by Anthony Ray Hinton, a man wrongfully imprisonment for 30 years for three murders he was innocent of. This shocking true life story spotlights social and judicial injustice in Alabama. Follow Mr. Hinton as he and attorney, Bryan Stevenso fight against the forged evidence used to entrap a man in a system that was built for conviction rather than justice... The Sun Does Shine.

After finishing The Sun Does Shine, I had a range of emotions. Right at the top I was angry. I was mad at the injustice of Anthony Ray Hinton being arrested for a crime he did not commit. Second, I was mad at the whole process of representation because he was poor. Then I was angry at how racist the whole judicial system is. Anthony said it best when he said judges traded their white robes for black.

Hopeful that evidence in his case would set him free. He passed a polygraph test, but isn’t admissible in court. No weapon found, but the police found his mother’s gun that hadn’t been used in 25 years. Public defenders that wanted him to plead guilty to a lesser charge when he is innocent. Thirty years is a long time to be incarcerated for something he didn’t do. The resilience that Anthony had to make the best out of an unspeakable situation is nothing but inspirational. Was it faith or fate when civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson picked up his case? Either way it was what Anthony needed and deserved. “Alabama persists as the only state in the nation that allows elected trial judges to override jury verdicts of life imprisonment to death with no restrictions or standards.” Looks like lynching to me.

It’s remarkable what Anthony Ray Hinton endured. All the while never losing hope. How he saw light in the darkest of situations is a lesson in faith I’ll remember and carry with me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK. Oh my goodness. I always wanted to know what went on in the head of someone in that situation and it was a beautiful beautiful read

Breathtaking and scary. This book had me hooked from the first page, knowing this was based on a true story. I am horrified this is happening so often in our country

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton is his personal story. Mr Hinton spent years on death row until he was finally acquitted. Years and years of his life were robbed from him. This is his story of finding life again, even on death row. This is a story that deserves to be told and read. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

It's not often that a book comes around that changes my POV on an important issue. I had never had a very strong stance on the death penalty before reading Anthony Ray Hinton's story, but I definitely do now. The fact that this man was incarcerated on death row for 30 years (!) before being acquited of all charges is a true travesty of justice. And it's really only a miracle (and one inspirational lawyer) that saved him from being executed. Hinton describes the horrors of being on death row and the small, daily indignities that exist for incarcerated individuals. Although he points out that some people deserve to be there, about one in every 10 death row prisoners is actually innocent. The powerful afterword of this memoir includes the names of every prisoner currently on death row. Hinton suggests reading the names out loud and pausing after every tenth name to say, "innocent." This is a moving exercise, much like the rest of Hinton's incredibly heartbreaking, yet still positive story.

So many emotions surfaced as I read this book: anger, sadness, hope, joy, faith. Anthony "Ray" Hinton had some minor scrapes with the law, enough that he was "in the system", and was pulled into a police lineup. Convicted for a crime he didn't commit, he spent 30 years on death row. His case wasn't simply mistaken identity or circumstantial evidence, it was suppressed evidence, racist attorneys, and the desire for a conviction.
The absolute beauty of this book is the depth of Mr. Hinton's faith and his love for humanity in spite of his situation. All at once heartbreaking and hopeful, The Sun Does Shine is a transformative read. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row was a good read by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin. Anthony was arrested in 1985 and charged with two capital murders. This book follows him and his release in 2015. I enjoyed reading this book.

The Sun Does Shine is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. I strongly feel that it should be on everyone’s required reading list. I had so many different feelings while reading this masterpiece...disbelief, anger, frustration, admiration, sorrow, just to name a few. After being railroaded by the justice system in Alabama in the mid eighties, Anthony Hinton was falsely charged with murder and sentenced to electrocution on death row. There was no evidence to convict him., other than being poor and black, in fact there was no evidence to support the fact that he did not commit the crimes he was accused of.
The power in this book is the transformation in Anthony, his fellow inmates on death row, and the guards in the prison. He is such a strong person to have lived in the conditions he did and yet to find a way to make his situation a positive one for everyone involved. I loved the total commitment from his childhood friend, Lester, which also spoke to Anthony’s leadership qualities.
I strongly urge everyone to read this inspirational book, based on pure tragedy. The next time I am asked who I would most like to meet, Anthony Ray Hinton will immediately come to mind. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this unforgettable book.

This is Hinton's account of his wrongful incarceration and acquittal after 3 decades! And to think he was this close to being hanged when he was convicted on a mere gun that was never even shot or found at the crime scene!

Extremely troubling is the fact that officers tried to get Hinton to sign a blank piece of paper right after his no-incident arrest, suggesting it was for his own good since his 'signature' would confirm that no one had been violent to him during his arrest or interrogation. Scary.

My Takeaway

“I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with – the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being. It was a gift, and we each had a choice whether to use this gift or not.”
Anthony Ray Hinton, The Sun Does Shine

Wow. The Sun Does Shine generated so many emotions for me and here I am a week later, still thinking about it. To be honest, I don't think my review will do it justice, but it's definitely worth a try. The compelling and extraordinary memoir made me sad, enraged, weep and smile. The beyond infernal ordeal Ray Hinton went through for thirty years was quite unimaginable. Personally, I do not think I could have endured any amount of time in Holman State Prison. Hinton's pain and suffering are well depicted - I felt his desperation, sorrow, and pain, but I also felt his moments of hope, faith and incessant optimism. The Sun Does Shine is a book everyone should read to have a better understanding of how unjust our judicial system can be. There's a reason why Oprah has made it her Book Club Summer 2018 selection! Get reading and keep the tissues nearby. I would like to thank Ray Hinton for having the courage to share his remarkable story with the world. I hope to be able to meet him someday.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion (however, I also purchased a copy for my personal library).

This was such an eye opening book! It seems unbelievable that an innocent man can be sentenced to death row and be stuck in prison for 30 years.  Anthony Ray Hinton was innocent but too poor to pay for a good lawyer to help him get the evidence he needed to set him free.  The most amazing part about this book is Hinton's positive attitude through out this ordeal.  He watched over 50 prisoners walk to the electric chair and had to deal with the smell and grief afterwards.  Many of the prisoners on death row looked to Hinton for advice and friendship so he suffered the loss of every one executed.  One of Hinton's accomplishments in prison was starting a book club and one of the books they read was To Kill A Mockingbird, a book about a black man wrongly accused of a crime.  This book gave hope to Hinton that one day a lawyer who believed in him would set him free.  I highly recommend this powerful book about a man who never gave up and the family and friends that never gave up on him.

Attorney Bryan Stevenson sums up the purpose and the power of amazing book perfectly for me in her forward: "We also need to learn about human dignity, about human worth, and value. We need to think about the fact that we are all more than the worst thing we have done. Anthony Ray Hinton's story helps us understand some of these problems and ultimately what it means to survive, to overcome, and to forgive."

Hinton's story will stir hearts to live richly, forgive deeply, and to walk in the newness and possibilities inherent in each new day. His book offers the gift of human transformation and redemption--a message we all need to hear and embrace.

This is the story of blatant and intentional racism and discrimination. Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with murder because of the color of his skin and his inability to hire a competent defense attorney.

"You know, I don't care whether you did or didn't do it. In fact, I believe that you didn't do it. But it doesn't matter. If you didn't do it, one of your brothers did. And you're going to take the rap." Lieutenant Acker of Birmingham Police Department

Mr. Hinton was found guilty of murder by a jury and given a life sentence in prison. A judge overruled the jury and changed the sentence to death by electrocution.

The author spent his first three years on death row in silence. He was a Christian man and could not understand how God could allow something like this to happen. His heart was full of anger and revenge toward the people who had sent an innocent man to death row.

The beautiful thing about this story is how the author eventually became a shining light of hope for the other prisoners on death row. Mr. Hinton started reaching out to other prisoners. He got permission to start a book club and prisoners were allowed to read and discuss books. He tried to keep a positive attitude despite many discouraging years of fighting for freedom in the legal system.

"I forgive because not to forgive would only hurt me." Anthony Ray Hinton

The author credits his faith in God, his mother's unconditional love, the loyalty of his best friend and an excellent attorney from the Equal Justice Initiative for his eventual exoneration and release from death row.

Anthony Ray Hinton was the 152nd person exonerated from death row in the United States since 1973 and the sixth in the state of Alabama. He is now a poster boy for all that is broken in our criminal justice system.

Our pledge of allegiance..."one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." That should be our vision for the future.

I was certain I would love this title. I have a strong interest in Civil Rights, oppose the death penalty, and this title seemed as if it would be right up my alley. Not so much, as it turns out. My thanks go to Net Galley and St. Martin's for the DRC; my fondness for St. Martin's titles is one more reason I made the request.

To be fare, Mr. Hinton acknowledges that having been deprived of contact with the world outside prison--death row no less--he emerged as if he'd been in an isolation chamber, and in a sense he had. But even at the time he was incarcerated, it was not appropriate to talk about women the way he does here. He seems to have two categories: one belongs to the saints, and the only woman that qualifies is his late mother. Other women, in particular the young attractive ones that excite his carnal instincts, are objectified. He speaks of his religious awakening and knows that there are some things he needs to steer clear of, and in a list of sinful habits and acquisitions he includes women, as if people that are female have the same standing in life as a sports car or a moonshine still. I skipped over passages like these for awhile, and after I hit the thirty percent mark, I understood that nothing could induce me to blog and promote this title. A sad thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommended read! Thanks for providing through Net Galley. Five Stars *****

I was drawn to this book because of the foreword by Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and one of my favorite books this year. Hinton writes an incredibly moving story and memoir that details his time serving on death row for crimes that he did not commit until finally, after much time has passed, he is exonerated. The strongest part of this book was the force of the author's personality, which compelled me to feel both sad and angry.