San Francisco, 1972; Judy Morelli has just walked out of her abusive marriage with her controlling and strict husband Tony who betrayed her. She is subletting an apartment in the south of Market Street neighborhood, which is in the middle of gentrification activism, and where Judy becomes involved in later. Judy is an aspiring photographer, and finds a job in a local photo store. Her new life starts there in the store, with the kind owner who recognizes her talent, as Judy is making a lot of pictures of daily life and people in her neighborhood. Judy gets a photo book handed by her new boss, and her eyes land on an impressive mug shot from 1890, a picture of a young Irish woman named Annie Gillmurray. She is moved by the desperate look in the eyes of Annie, who she discovers with researching in the local library with the help of librarian Mark Chen, was sentenced for years in jail for a crime she didn't commit, and where she was lured into by the nephew of her rich lady boss where she was a maid for, accused of stealing the ring he gave her with a marriage promise. Annie is sentenced for a year in San Quentin, a notorious prison island, which has prostitutes, murderers, and pickpockets behind it's bars. Annie is devastated and heartbroken in jail. as she didn't even had a fair change to defend herself. Who is taking care financially now of her family back in Ireland who know nothing about her prison sentence? But she finds true friendship with a few women in the jail, who truly look out for each other, especially Emma, who is also Irish. But the world inside the prison isn't safe for young women at all, with corrupt and dangerous guards who are assaulting the women, and where the women haven't a voice at all. Annie comes up with an idea to inform the press secretly about the all the wrongs inside the jail, and when she is finally free after a year, she finds the man who abused and killed her best friend in jail, to seek revenge for the fact that he killed her best friend.
The Incorrigibles is a magnificent new book by Meredith Jaeger. I loved her book The Pilot's Daughter and this book is just as brilliant. The stories of both Judy and Annie are marvelous, both in their own time periods. Both characters where very realistic and are people that you are truly start to like as a reader. Annie's sentence was so unfair and how she was treated in jail was just horrific. But she is a true heroine who, beside her heartbreak, stays strong and eventually, seeks justification for the wrong that she and her best friend are done, mostly by powerfull men . Judy's story was also very moving, I loved that she dared to walk away from Tony, and take the reigns of her life in her own hands, she found new friends in the South of Market street community and found love. Every part of this story was in the right place, and I can't stretch enough how much I love this new book by Meredith Jaeger, I truly recommend reading this wonderfull new book!!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a comment here, but keep it nice!