Almost Home: My Life Story Vol 1 by Damien Echols
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Book Reviews of Almost Home: My Life Story Vol 1
Book Review: Must-read to understand the justice system
Summary: 5 Stars
A powerful story, especially because it's so openly written and so genuine. He communicates the stifling, dreary reality of a small town dominated by fundamentalism. From the earliest days, he has trouble fitting in. He reached out to everything from skateboarding to the Catholic religion, curious and eager.
In the last part of the book, he writes about being arrested (at first he thought he was being charged with skipping school) and his time in prison.
Even on Death Row (which seems bizarre in the context of Echols's story), Echols keeps his spirit alive. He learns about Buddhism. He tries to stay in touch with his son. He writes. He's smart and witty - even ironic.
It's pretty obvious from the movie that he's innocent. Now we realize the whole satantic cult fear was more like an urban legend than a crime wave.
But the police wanted a reason to lock him up.
His account of the trial is even worse than what we saw in the movie. According to Echols, the judge would be telling jokes during the breaks, commenting on a juror's appearance and even making jokes about him, the person being judged.
What's scary is that this mentality seems prevalent at all levels of the criminal "justice" system. The New York Times described prosecutors who ask for longer sentences based on accusation of crimes rather than actual convictions.
Echols claims the state of Arkansas would still like to put him to death, despite evidence that has emerged since the original trial. I believe it: I read about some judges who wanted to keep someone on death row despite exonerating evidence, just to protect "the system."
Ultimately, the lesson of this book is what Johnny Cochran said so eloquently: "The color of justice is green."
The book is even more horrifying because Echols is so mattter-of-fact. He used to think the cops were his friends, he writes. He was sure the system worked. In the movies it's the prisoners who are the bad guys; in real life he's more scared of the guards.
Book Review: I walk in Damiens Shoes (Almost Home)
Summary: 5 Stars
As I read Almost Home, I saw myself in Damien Echol?s shoes, I saw myself in his shoes even when I had just read a little bit of info about the case. But reading his Autobiography is like reading a book about my own life, I don?t have to write a book about my life he has already done it for me. I am so engrossed in this book & Damien Echol's life that I stayed up until 4 AM reading it & that is kind of the time sleep started to settle in.
I still yet am not done with the book & can already categorize it as my most favorite book ever. Damien is me he's just a male version of me. I have laughed, & cried with this book. He invites you to read his book as a friend, so that you know about his life & learn about his innocence. Damien Echol's right now is sitting on death row for a crime that he did not commit simply because he never fit into a crowd.
I?ve never fit into a crowd, I?ve always been myself & some may call me morbid or obscure but to be honest I like keeping to myself & being outcasted as I always have been. Being in College has brought out the socializer in me I never ever dreamed that I could be social.
I have utmost respect for Damien Echol?s, Jason Baldwin, & Jessie Miskelley, better known as The West Memphis Three. I cannot wait to finish this book to begin reading Devil?s Knot.
If you ever get a chance to watch the documentaries do it, or even if you stumble upon a book on the case in your local library or maybe because a friend has it, even if you don?t order it yourself through www.amazon.com or buy it at your local bookstore. I advise you to get informed about a huge injustice that happened in North America, aren?t we the land of the free?
Book Review: Soul Food : A book review NOT case-opinion review
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a huge fan of autobiographies - an obsessive even.
Sadly, I often find that authors are so wrapped up in their own worth that they trash out their fine lettered pages with egotistical and righteous rantings. For an illustrated example- check out Sting's self-titled new read. This book, however, deviates from that stereotypical auto-bio path by stepping off into more of a walkabout of self discovery with the author spiritedly laughing at himself all along the way. A sort of Ex Libre Noir, if you will.
Like the tiny tin-roofed shack he describes so eloquently, Echols' writing is raw, heated and honest with little room for loquacious luxury. I loved this book like I loved reading about Anne Sexton and Marilyn Manson---because it spends much more time on the "why" than the "who" or the "what."
The only beef I have with Almost Home is with the copy editor (Was there a copy editor?) whose faux pas eventually becomes painfully apparent when you hit the chapter about Damien's friend "Brain". My heart broke for the author as this will surely reflect on his writing "abilities"- however, the more informed reader will know where spelling and grammar accountability should rest.
Want to know the behind the scenes of the Robin Hills Child Murders- read Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt instead. Wanna beefed up, info-tainment stare at the "West Memphis Three" then read Blood of Innocents. Wanna etch your hatespeech on the internet for all time and eternity- then visit a subject-specific site.
But if you are truly looking for a straight forward, 'coming of age' self-examination with a hint of Southern hospitality and soul- then Almost Home is your read.
Book Review: Intense and compelling
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is intense and compelling.
Echols is a coherent and sympathetic writer; he states that he wishes to laugh when he laughs, cry when he cries, and feel his emotions, and this is something he manages to accomplish.
My interpretation of the book was not that he was presenting himself in too positive a light; indeed, there were many times I thought "God, what a jerk" and he himself used stronger epithets than that to describe his own behaviour.
But whatever else this book is, it's not an easy read. It's gripping and emotional, and sensitive readers are advised to take it in stages.
This is not a criticism of Echols. There was a time in his life when the family was so poor they were living in a one-room tin shack with a dirt floor and trying to grow their own food to survive, and as an intelligent but (in my opinion) sarcastic and misanthropic teen with "unusual" interests living in small town deep South, his life was ripped away from him at an appallingly young age by corrupt authorities.
The list of injustices that have happened on this case are appalling and the fact that these things could happen in America in the late 20th century are frightening. This book, the documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and the case should be required reading and knowledge for all junior high and high school students, all criminal justice students and law students.
Book Review: Free The West Memphis Three
Summary: 5 Stars
Damien Echols is truly an outstanding individual and in many ways, reminds me of Andy Dufresne, the main character in Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.Despite all that has happened to him he has been able to rise above all of it and share his soul with the world and people of that caliber are far and few between.
A horrible thing happened in West Memphis Arkansas on May 5th ,1993 and outside of the murders themselves,it is just as,or maybe even more terrifying that anyone could just be randomly picked up and charged with a crime they did'nt even commit,which is clearly the case here. I have always believed that Damien,Jason and Jesse are innocent and now, I am convinced.There is no way at all possible that they could have done what they were accussed of . I just wish that the media back then could have seen these trials for the joke that they really were rather than foucus on "Satanic Cults" and the other fairy tales that permeated the minds of the general public back then. I hope that this book will generate more interest in this case which will get more people to wake up and see the truth rather than rely on the so-called "facts" that got those guys arrestted in the first place. I hope that that truth comes out real soon.
FREE THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE!!!!
David