On the Inside: A Novel

By: Kim Cano

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

She didn't know what she stood to lose - until hope was all she had left.

Kristen was living the dream - a loving husband, adorable children, a successful career. Why hadn't it been enough? She's had a lot of time to ponder the answer - behind bars.

It was a little fudging of the numbers, just once to cover some unpaid bills. Somehow, she wound up a convicted white-collar criminal, sentenced to a women's prison full of drug dealers and murderers, enduring days of mind-numbing tedium punctuated by moments of harrowing violence. A place where respect is earned with one's fists.

Yet within these walls, random acts of kindness occur, friendships form, and people fall in love. Letters from her sister-in-law keep Kristen connected to the family she's lost. They give her hope that someday she might be given a second chance. But first, she must face the personal demons lurking in the shadows of her soul - and find a way to forgive herself.

©2013 Kim Cano (P)2015 Kim Cano

Life inside a women's prison

I was told that if I liked Orange is the New Black, I might like this book too. I haven't actually read or watched Orange is the New Black yet, but I read over the blurb and thought this book sounded interesting. It is all about being "on the inside" of a women's prison. I have avoided these types of stories for years, as they are a bit close to home. I had a family member spend some time on the inside and that is a time I prefer not to dwell on. I found reading this novel to be a positive experience. It didn't dwell on the horror of prison, but on the friendships that are built.

The blurb describes this novel as Kristen's story. A wife and mother of two, who spent 17 years in prison for white collar crime. Kristen is the thread that ties all the other stories together; it is more than just her story. It intertwines the lives of the other inmates and some of the staff. The story begins partway through Kristen's sentence. Although it is a work of fiction, I believe it portrays a fairly realistic image of what everyday life would be like inside a womens prison.

As I came to know them better, I grew to like all of the characters. Even the toughest ones had a softer side. This novel really demonstrated that there are not many bad people in the world, but lots of people who have made bad decisions.

I listened to the audiobook edition, which I received free from Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review. The narrator, Teri Schnaubelt, did a fantastic job. She spoke clearly and at a perfect pace. She breathed life into all the characters and used appropriate accents and characterisations.

loved this prison story

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this audiobook showing both sides of the fence in a womans prison.
An insight into how differntly the woman cope to life inside , how their families react and also how some of the wardens are more caring than others.
This might sound a bit gloomy , but it's not, the story contains a lot of warmth, and really draws you into the various character's lives and dilemas.

Really well narrated by Teri Schnaubelt.

great Audiobook- 4½ stars

I recieved this audiobook in return for an unbiaesd review.

Second Chances

What an interesting listen and look inside a prison for women. Though it is Kristen's story, I thouroughly enjoyed all of the back stories of the other inmates and personnel. Quite an insight into the workings of an institution, the women who made mistakes, and the bonds formed behind bars. There are so many great characters~some very likable, some not so much. Abigail's story was, for me, the most touching and everyone should be blessed with a relative or friend like Olivia. Teri Schnaubelt's narration was just perfect!
Highly Recommended...

Audiobook provided for an honest review

Seconds chances

This was a pretty enjoyable story, or rather, stories. We rarely get to glimpse the life of those who spend their life behind bars, that isn't glammed up by Hollywood, and I think the author, Kim Cano, did a wonderful job keeping these stories "real" and true to the life experience we share.

The narrator, Teri Schnaubelt, did a wonderful job with each or the characters. Her voices and pacing was perfect for the listener's ear. I was only thrown off by the spacing between scenes; the were often too short and threw me out of the loop of the story a few times trying to figure out who was talking or what had just happened.

Overall I was quite impressed with this story and would recommend it.

This audiobook was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful inside look at prison life

The author did a wonderful job of giving someone an inside look at the other side of the prison that the average person would never know. It's amazing how ones life can change in the beat of a heart.
I received this free for a honest review

excellent book

I really enjoyed this book. it had me crying and laughing and I really felt connected to the characters. I will be recommending it to friends!

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How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

As the story takes place over an extended period time, I had difficulty figuring out the length of time between scenes. I would have used some dates or other ways of showing the progression of time. Ex: 6 months later or later that Spring.

What about Teri Schnaubelt’s performance did you like?

Ms. Schnaubelt always gives a good performance no matter the story's genre. Her flair for emotions and pacing help to move the story along. I'm always on the look out for books she has narrated.

Do you think On the Inside: A Novel needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I don't think it needs a follow up as much as maybe an epilogue. We see where Kristen is right after she is released from prison but I want to know what happens to Warden Laura, Meagan and the rest of the supporting characters.

Absolutely 5 stars!

Follow Kristin through her 17 year sentence. Meet several different women and their experiences. After stealing almost $500,000 and becoming a stumbling alcoholic, she ends up losing her husband and kids in exchange for almost 2 decades of life behind bars.
Throughout her 17 years in prison, she meets many women and we get introduced to their stories as well. Going through the years with these women was heart wrenching at times, sickening at others. This is a very good portrayal of people spending years in prison.
Having worked in a prison myself, I had a different take on this story than I think most people will. I thought the author did a very good job of showing us the inside of “being on the inside”. It is a lot different than people think, and Kim Cano obviously did her research. She also did a wonderful job at showing us the effects on the family members. Everyone reacts differently to someone they love being incarcerated, and Ms. Cano showed this extremely well in her story. Good Job! A 5 STAR read here!!

possibly the most pleasant prison ever

I received a copy of this ebook free to review from the audio book blast dot com. I genuinely liked this book and the characters, but I found it slightly unrealistic that everyone in this prison is just dealing with things appropriately and wanting to plant and prune shrubbery after ballet class in the yard. There are deaths, but they are glossed over a bit. Even the one that deeply affects the other characters.

The narrator does a fantastic job for 90% of the characters represented here. She has an engaging voice that keeps your attention without being overbearing. I am definitely interested in listening to more books that she is reading!

the emotional lives of inmates

After binge-watching the third season of Orange Is The New Black, I was primed to read this book. It is a work of fiction, but felt quite real. It's women's fiction in that the book explores the lives of a few women in a low security womens' prison - both prisoners and employees of the prison. The book starts out with introducign the reader to the inmates' stories through the frame of the woman that opens all the prisoners' mail to examine it for contraband. She refers to her ongoing knowledge of the inmates' lives and correspondence as her "stories", like Grandma watching her soap operas.

We meet mainly three inmates, hearing their stories through reading their letters as well as through second person scenes of them interacting with other inmates. Each woman reveals her crimes and the motivations behind them, their troubled relationships with their families outside the jail as well as with the other inmates, and most of all their acute loneliness. Forced to lose contact with children and spouses, they sometimes turn to each other for companionship. The book contained one such love story behind bars. I thought the author did a nice job of showing a wide aspect of prison life and ways in which it changes, hardens, or opens up a person. The prison employees we meet (the warden, a counselor, and the mail opener) all have family and life experiences that work as a good foil to the inmates' lives, showing correlation as well as contrast. There is joy and sadness in all the womens' lives.

I would classify this women's fiction in the way that it primarily deals with the emotional lives of women. It is sad and sometimes quite sweet. There is not a lot of humor. The violence is downplayed, and it does not contain characters that have a lot of anger toward the system or the institution of the prison itself. The focus is on the personal journeys of the women through trust, love, loss, and empathy and on second chances or redemption.

Audiobook narrator Teri Schnaubelt does a fine job telling the story with warmth and emotion.

NOTE: I recieved a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.