Entry 3

It's very clear that Jennifer and Ronald have an odd relationship. Somehow they went from enemies to lifelong friends in a weird transition. Jennifer had wished that Ronald would die in prison and now they say "I love you" when they talk on the phone. They're so different in appearance-Jennifer is a tiny blonde and Ronald is a six foot four African American-that seeing them walk down the street together would make people take a second look. At the end of the book, Jennifer was invited to speak in Savannah, Georgia during a march to support Troy Davis, a man who had been wrongfully imprisoned and was sentenced to death. Jennifer's daughter and the entire Cotton family joined her. After the march, Jennifer said that she was glad she picked Ron, which to anyone else would sound so ridiculous and crazy, but he didn't take it the wrong way. This shows the power of forgiveness and the affect God had on Ron while he was in prison. Ron gave Jennifer another chance and from that chance, a beautiful and unusual friendship bloomed.

 

Entry 2

When Ronald had finally been exonerated, it took a while for him to get back on his feet. I never thought about how difficult it would be for someone to get a job and a normal life after spending time in prison, especially when it's for something as extreme as rape. What's really unfair is that Ronald, an innocent man, had to explain to future employers that he was in jail for 11 years for a crime he didn't commit, and wasn't being educated while in jail so he, a 33 year old man, had the same credentials as a high school student. Luckily, Tom Lambeth, one of Ron's lawyers, got him a job at a factory. There, he met his wife and was able to get his life together.

Tom also got a new compensation bill passed so instead of Ronald receiving $5,000 as compensation, he was given $10,000 for each year he was wrongfully imprisoned. Ron accepted almost $110,000 for spending 11 years in jail.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when he received this money and used it to buy a house and land for him and his pregnant wife, and then he says, "When it was warm, I liked to just sit outside in a chair, looking at the trees... and listen to the quiet" (258). I can picture him doing this and it makes me feel so glad because if anyone deserves to sit on their porch and appreciate the quiet, it's Ronald.

Entry 1

So far, this book is very frustrating. Since I know that Ronald Cotton is an innocent man, I almost dislike Jennifer Thompson because she is constantly pointing her finger at Ronald just because he looks like Bobby Poole. Obviously, I'm sympathetic towards her and I get that she wants the man who raped her to go to jail but she was in a high pressure situation and she is too stubborn and determined to put Ronald in jail that she doesn't see that her actual attacker is right in front of her.

The next frustrating point is the lawyers. I now understand why so many people hate lawyers. They were being so racist, and giving Jennifer and the prosecutors an advantage with the all-white jury and not accepting any of the defendant's requests. Then, somehow they convinced the other woman who was raped the same night, Mary, to change her mind and pick Ronald as her attacker. She had said the attacker was five foot nine and then said he could have been six feet, while Ronald is still six foot four. In the picture above, there is a clear height difference and I don't even see much of a resemblance. 

I've actually been setting the book down because I think it's insane how this mistake could have been made. I almost broke down in my living room when Ronald starting singing his song, which he wrote while he was in jail. I don't think I could ever forgive Jennifer if I was in Ronald's position.