Oh my Lord, what a story. I have no idea why Sandy Shaw isn’t a bitter, twisted, seriously angry woman, but she seems a decent, well adjusted human being. And that’s a miracle given what she’s gone through. And what ‘the system’ put her through when she should have been protected.

Ms Shaw tells her story framed by a legal hearing. Her childhood was a farce of her father kidnapping her and her regularly changing schools and then she personally witnessed a horrendous murder. It’s easy to see how she had psychological issues. At 15 she was being stalked and harassed by an older acquaintance. Unable to get rid of him, she asks a school friend to frighten him away or beat him up. That decision leads to Ms Shaw being locked up for "Life Without".

From the several incompetent lawyers who didn’t do their jobs properly, to a corrupt prosecutor with a point to prove, and then a prison guard who hated her and kept writing her up for infractions, you have to keep reminding yourself that this is real.

I’ve no idea how innocent Sandy Shaw is overall, but I do know that she was badly treated and desperately unlucky. I’m glad her mother stood by her and helped her where she could. This is a heartbreaking story of a system that really needs redrafting. But given how little the current administration cares for ‘the rule of law’, that’s unlikely to happen any time soon.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.

Life Without was a great book, but an infuriating one at the same time. The gross miscarriage of justice from start to finish on Sandy's case is unforgivable. It absolutely blows my mind that she spent 21 years in prison given the circumstances of her case. She was failed by pretty much every single person that was involved. The fact that she never gave up and just kept trying again, despite the dirty moves pulled by the justice department, is inspiring. I can't imagine the mental fortitude it would take to not give up after everything she went through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book was absolutely insane in that the miscarriage of justice for Sandy should never have happened. This was a fantastic first hand look at what happened to her and what can happen to others from start to finish. I appreciated her sharing how she navigated everything and I was really rooting for her. This was such an important book because it helps the average person become aware that these things happen way more than they should. When I finished the book I just wanted to give her an enormous hug.