As hard as this book was to read – it is, after all, a searing indictment of modern America's treatment of our Black citizens and our poor citizens – I am immensely grateful to have read it. Bryan Stevenson is a treasure – his passion for justice and commitment to those who have no means to defend themselves are an inspiration.

While the book is ostensibly about one man's wrongful conviction and time spent on death row before his exoneration, it's also a survey of the many flaws in today's criminal justice system in America. We are the only country in the developed world to sentence juveniles to life sentences (thanks to Stevenson's work, juveniles can no longer be sentenced to life without parole). We criminalize behavior that is more appropriate for the healthcare system or for aid programs. And we've created a cycle that repeats itself with each new generation as children grow up with one or both parents incarcerated.

It's hard to imagine reading this book and not being changed, not being motivated to improving such a broken system, not being ashamed that our country has failed so many of its citizens for so long.