What Set Me Free

Powerful. Particularly in the age of #MeToo, Banks' story stands out as remarkable - and his grace and restraint even moreso. While the cynic in me wants to look at most of these types of memoirs as little more than PR, the endless optimist desperately hopes that the Banks portrayed in this book is the real deal. His final recommendations seem warranted, particularly in light of how his own case has turned out. Possibly the one narrative change I would have made would have been to end it at what Joe Public would generally see as the climax of his story - the moment he stormed the field as an NFL player and knelt in prayer at the 50 yard line. But Banks himself sees that as just one moment among many, and does a remarkable job of showing his public priorities of the several years now since that moment. Truly a remarkable book, and absolutely one anyone interested in the US criminal justice system in particular should read.

Because the publisher wants it, I'll note here that I am writing this review on June 22, 2019 - 10 days before publication of this book. Meaning that it is in fact an Advance Review Copy. As is my own standard for all of my reviews, ARC or not, my review is my honest reflection of my experience with the book.