The reader learns why some women turned to brutal violence, how others were caught in no-win situations, and how many of the women embrace hope even in the depths of their despair and loneliness. She still has much more time to serve of her forty-five year sentence for an accidental killing. Bonnie Foreshaw tells of how much she misses the music and joy of family gatherings. Robin Cullen writes about the difficulty of celebrating Christmas in a maximum-security prison where no care packages are allowed. Other tales give glimpses into life in jail. Nancy Birkla is arrested for drug trafficking just when she has begun the painful ascent toward sobriety and toward facing her demons.

Brenda Medina joins a gang to fit in and to impress her volatile boyfriend, and violence soon ensues. Some women recount harrowing tales of chronic abuse and rejection by their families, their peers, and their societies. Many of these women were imprisoned by their circumstances even before they came to York. Over time, they began to express themselves, and this book is the product of that journey into expression. While at first the women distrusted Lamb, each other, and themselves, many of them began to slowly embrace the opportunity to join Lamb's writing class. For the past several years, Lamb has devoted himself passionately to working with a group of incarcerated women at the York Correctional Institution. Wally Lamb's writing has been lauded around the world for its humanity and sensitivity to the plight of the outsider, the misunderstood figure who seeks hope and redemption. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.Ī collection of heart-wrenching tales of abuse and violence from a writing class of women prisoners, edited by world-renowned no.1 New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb. Couldn't Keep It to Myself is a true testament to the process of finding oneself and working toward a better day. In his moving introduction, Lamb describes the incredible journey of expression and self-awareness the women took through their writing and shares how they challenged him as a teacher and as a fellow author.

Yet these are powerful stories of hope and healing, told by writers who have left victimhood behind. In this unforgettable collection, the women of York describe in their own words how they were imprisoned by abuse, rejection, and their own self-destructive impulses long before they entered the criminal justice system. In a stunning work of insight and hope, New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb once again reveals his unmatched talent for finding humanity in the lost and lonely and celebrates the transforming power of the written word.įor several years, Lamb has taught writing to a group of women prisoners at York Correctional Institution in Connecticut.

Couldn t keep it to myself