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A review by lalawoman416
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin
4.0
This book has a before and after part to it. But it isn't what you would expect. You'd expect this would be before his wrongful conviction and after his wrongful conviction. But it isn't. It's before his grace and after. After doesn't actually come until 3 years after his wrongful conviction.
Before tells the story of his life in Alabama in the 60s\70s, his arrest/trial/post trial relief in the 80s. After tells the story of the next 25 years in prison seeking justice but also friendship, forgiveness, and humanity for the men of death row.
In a really weird twist, I read concurrently and completely coincidentally "They Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle that Brought Down the Klan." weird bc that book is about Henry Hay's and James Knowles's lynching of Michael McDonald. Henry Hays was sentenced to death, the first time in over 50 years Alabama sentenced a white man to death for killing a black man.
We meet Henry Hays in this book too, since he is on death row the same time as Anthony Ray Hinton. In this book, we see Hinton's grace in becoming Hay's friend, not just friend, but best friend. It's a testament to Anthont Ray Hinton's character that he can put us all to shame when it comes to humanity.
Before tells the story of his life in Alabama in the 60s\70s, his arrest/trial/post trial relief in the 80s. After tells the story of the next 25 years in prison seeking justice but also friendship, forgiveness, and humanity for the men of death row.
In a really weird twist, I read concurrently and completely coincidentally "They Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle that Brought Down the Klan." weird bc that book is about Henry Hay's and James Knowles's lynching of Michael McDonald. Henry Hays was sentenced to death, the first time in over 50 years Alabama sentenced a white man to death for killing a black man.
We meet Henry Hays in this book too, since he is on death row the same time as Anthony Ray Hinton. In this book, we see Hinton's grace in becoming Hay's friend, not just friend, but best friend. It's a testament to Anthont Ray Hinton's character that he can put us all to shame when it comes to humanity.