SERENDIPITOUS TUESDAYS: “OUT OF ORANGE”

 

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by A Daily Rhythm.

Today’s featured book is told in the voice of the real-life Alex Vause.  From the critically acclaimed, top-rated Netflix show Orange Is the New Black, comes her story in her own words for the first time—a powerful, surprising memoir about crime and punishment, friendship and marriage, and a life caught in the ruinous drug trade and beyond:  Out of Orange, by Cleary Wolters, is another perspective for the fans.

 

 

 

Intro:  Prologue:  Karma

Cincinnati, Ohio, 2013

I developed a skill, where if I want to concentrate on something, anything, and my surroundings are distracting or loud, I can block out the noise and activity surrounding me and focus solely on whatever task needs my attention.  It’s a very useful skill at times, but it bugs the shit out of my mother when I’m not listening to her.  In that case, it’s not really a skill; it’s a habit.  It’s not my intention to ignore her.  But if we are watching one of our favorite television shows together at the end of a very long day, I might miss the fact that she has been talking to me for a while.

It was in one of these typical end-of-day scenes where she was going on and on about something trivial, like how many lights our neighbor has on tonight compared to any other night or the number of cars that have driven down our road.  I was tuned in to a comedy when she clapped to get my attention away from the show and onto her dilemma.  Dad’s been gone for years, and I don’t hear dead people, so I can’t really help her resolve their most recent spat.  Besides that, I have a hard time imagining Dad making the long trip all the way back from heaven just to discuss the day of Mom’s hair appointment.

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Teaser:  Starting out on the other side of the planet on a route we had never taken made us nervous.  We had looked on a globe to find Jakarta.  Phillip knew approximately where to look; I had no clue. (p. 75).

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Synopsis:  Fans nationwide have fallen in love with Orange Is the New Black, the critically acclaimed and wildly popular Netflix show based on Piper Kerman’s sensational #1 New York Times bestseller. Now, Catherine Cleary Wolters—the inspiration for Alex Vause, Piper’s ex-girlfriend, friend, and sometimes-romantic partner on the show—tells her true story, offering details and insights that fill in the blanks, set the record straight, and answer common fan questions.

An insightful, frustrating, heartbreaking, and uplifting analysis of crime and punishment in our times, Out of Orange is an intimate look at international drug crime—a seemingly glamorous lifestyle that dazzles unsuspecting young women and eventually leads them to the seedy world of prison. Told by a woman originally thrust into the spotlight without her permission—Wolters learned about Piper’s memoir in the media—Out of Orange chronicles Wolter’s time in the drug trade, her incarceration, her friendships and acquaintances with odd cellmates, her two marriages, and her complicated relationship with Piper. But Wolters is not solely defined by her past; she also reflects on her life and the person she is today.

Filled with colorful characters, fascinating tales, painful sobering lessons, and hard-earned wisdom, Out of Orange is sure to be provocative, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring.

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I love reading “the other side” of a story, and in this new perspective, I am poised to learn more about the true-to-life people who are at the center of the popular show.  What do you think?  Would you keep reading?

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