Willow in a Storm: A Memoir - Softcover

"An unflinching examination of his crime--a bank robbery and homicide committed at age 30--and his resulting conviction, incarceration, spiritual growth and eventual emancipation 40 years later, this tale proves emotional, forthright and inspirational...Taylor looks back without self-pity or regret, making the casual cruelty he endures and his straightforward survival strategies all the more chilling." -- Publisher's Weekly "A compelling tale of crime, punishment, and redemption. Taylor's raw memoir exposes both the terrible injustices of an inhumane prison system and the power love can wield in its midst." -- Minneapolis Quarterly Observer "I was stunned by "Willow in a Storm.".. This harrowing and inspiring story [is told] with class, directness and honesty." --Sister Helen Prejean, anti-death penalty activist and author of "Dead Man Walking" "The story at the heart of "Willow in a Storm" is compelling--a window onto a world that many people have never considered." --Laura Stemple, former Executive Director, Stop Prison Rape "I was stunned by "Willow in a Storm,.". This harrowing and inspiring story [is told] with class, directness and honesty." --Sister Helen Prejean, anti-death penalty activist and author of "Dead Man Walking" "The story at the heart of "Willow in a Storm" is compelling--a window onto a world that many people have never considered." --Laura Stemple, former Executive Director, Stop Prison Rape

In this moving memoir, James Peter Taylor invites us to share in the painful and realistic struggles of prison survival, where he lived from age 25 in the 1950s until his release in the mid-1990s. Now an old man, he reflects on how he made it for so many years when many other lifers die in prison. He survives, he believes, not by being a stable, sturdy oak, but by bending like a willow to new and horrible situations. Taylor colors his surprising story with vivid anecdotes, never shying away from the sexual and physical violence endemic to prison. As he matures, his faith in God helps him assist others stuck in the system.