Alabama. 1985. Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with multiple murders. He had an alibi, but it didn’t matter—he was tried and found guilty.
Hinton’s book tells his story of an innocent man serving time on death row until his eventual exoneration and release in 2015. He recounts his courtroom experience and how he faced rampant racism from the judge, prosecution and his defense attorney. The reality that many facts were never brought to light during his initial trial because he simply could not afford to pay for the tests that were required.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row is a condemnation of the mass incarceration system in the U.S. but, maybe more importantly, a shining example about how one man’s belief in his own innocence and faith in justice can be the light in darkness.
Hennepin County Library’s Mary Ann Key Book Club is reading Hinton’s book for the 2024 season.
Gabrielle Clark is a librarian at Hennepin County Library–Maple Grove. Read more at hclib.org.
