A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom
- Downloads：7248
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-21 19:31:02
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Brittany K. Barnett
- ISBN：1984825801
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lindsey Lindsay
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This was an incredibly moving and emotional journey。 Great writing that exemplifies the numerous problems in the criminal justice system today。
Su Lin
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Brittany is a real-life hero。 I am thankful she wrote this book， and told the urgent stories of the people who had been buried by the injustices of the so-called Justice System。 There seem to be an endless stream of faceless， nameless villains who use the authority and power they have to steal lives， just because they can。 It sounds so easy in America to put someone in jail for a life sentence without parole--apparently you don't even need physical evidence。 How these are not human rights violat Brittany is a real-life hero。 I am thankful she wrote this book， and told the urgent stories of the people who had been buried by the injustices of the so-called Justice System。 There seem to be an endless stream of faceless， nameless villains who use the authority and power they have to steal lives， just because they can。 It sounds so easy in America to put someone in jail for a life sentence without parole--apparently you don't even need physical evidence。 How these are not human rights violations are not clear to me。 Whenever a name of a particularly disgusting prosecutor came up in this book， I kept googling them--surely they must have been asked to leave their positions， or been in turn shamed by （at least） the internet for their vindictive， immoral， behavior， right？ Alas， not really; one was even recently honored on twitter for their service。 What？ To me， these are the true criminals。 It is incredible and heart warming to see that Brittany and the people around her were able to help reclaim so many lives that would otherwise have been lost， but it is also devastating to think about how little can be done when the archaic system is built against your cause。 Not to mention all those years lost， youth， those moments with loved ones you missed that can never be reclaimed， all the "what-if"s; you might be released from prison but the system that wronged you owes you nothing to make you whole again。 That makes me sick。 。。。more
Rene
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Great book and the stories are so heartfelt
Olivia Kaiser
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While Brittany K。 Barnett may be an outstanding lawyer， she is also one of the most impactful writers i’ve witnessed。 Amazing talent in that woman， and she deserves to be celebrated for her dedication and focus on her craft。 Not many have a passion like she does for issues they care about。 My favorite aspects of this novel are Barnett’s vulnerable writing regarding her own experiences， and how much credit she gives to her family growing up to create her into the woman she is today。 I could not c While Brittany K。 Barnett may be an outstanding lawyer， she is also one of the most impactful writers i’ve witnessed。 Amazing talent in that woman， and she deserves to be celebrated for her dedication and focus on her craft。 Not many have a passion like she does for issues they care about。 My favorite aspects of this novel are Barnett’s vulnerable writing regarding her own experiences， and how much credit she gives to her family growing up to create her into the woman she is today。 I could not compliment her writing style more。 Thank you Brittany for this beautiful story that brings light to the dark subject of injustice， for there is always hope even when it feels far from reach。 We just have to keep knocking。 。。。more
Donna Berry
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This book took me a couple of weeks to read， but not because it was boring， but because there was so much information to grasp。 I originally borrowed this book from the library， but after reading a couple of pages， I knew I had to purchase this book。 This book was so powerful in regards to how our justice system works。 so many times we judge a person by the way they look or even the reason they are in jail， but yet we never take the time to understand what happened in their lives。 What caused th This book took me a couple of weeks to read， but not because it was boring， but because there was so much information to grasp。 I originally borrowed this book from the library， but after reading a couple of pages， I knew I had to purchase this book。 This book was so powerful in regards to how our justice system works。 so many times we judge a person by the way they look or even the reason they are in jail， but yet we never take the time to understand what happened in their lives。 What caused them to be in prison in the first place。 this book opens you eyes to several individuals we were giving mandatory life sentences。 Many of them were first time offences。 This book also shows how the prosecuting attorney will use even how you dress against you。 how they will apply enhancements on your cases which would give you harsher sentences。 How they will blackmail people to testify against you so they don't go to prison。 This book blew my mind。 Brittany did an amazing job in her writing。 I felt like i personally knew these individuals and was rooting for them。 Some are still in prison， but some did receive clemency under Obama and Trump。 But there is still so much work to be done。 This is a must read in order to understand what goes on in our justice system。 A very POWERFUL read。 。。。more
Kim
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4。6
Jen
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Brittany is an amazing human， I loved this memoir so much。
Caedin
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4。5
Katherine Phillips
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This is hands-down one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read。 Barnett’s passion for the people she writes about and the cause she’s dedicated her life to are evident in every word， and I’ve never had such an uplifting and upsetting experience reading a book。 I cried SO MANY TIMES！ Thank you for writing this insanely beautiful book！！
Pat
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If you want to meet truly amazing real people， read this book。 The author is a lawyer responsible for obtaining freedom for a number of people serving life sentences for non-violent drug crimes。 IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE！ Lady Justice must be weeping at what the American legal system is doing to people。 Brittany K Barnett brings humanity to her account of how all this happens。 An excellent book。
Vanessa Harder
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Brittany K。 Barnett should be part of history books across America。 Her childhood and path to CPA and a law degree is one to be admired。 Her passion for fighting injustice is so well told in A Knock at Midnight。
Lisa Elkins
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Bravo！！！ Here's to following your heart & finding your calling。 A brilliant memoir that displays the travesty of the criminal justice system。 I applaud your work。 The journey is a long one & there is still much work ahead。 Be assured you do not walk it alone。 Bravo！！！ Here's to following your heart & finding your calling。 A brilliant memoir that displays the travesty of the criminal justice system。 I applaud your work。 The journey is a long one & there is still much work ahead。 Be assured you do not walk it alone。 。。。more
Jamie Canaves
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A Knock At Midnight reminded me of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy and Chanel Miller’s Know My Name in that it is exceptionally written about difficult topics while managing to somehow always keep a level of hope。 So much so that I usually have to pace myself on this type of nonfiction， but I instead listened to the audiobook over two days; the narrator， Karen Chilton， is fantastic。Brittany K。 Barnett tells the story of growing up with a loving family， including her mom who dealt with drug addictio A Knock At Midnight reminded me of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy and Chanel Miller’s Know My Name in that it is exceptionally written about difficult topics while managing to somehow always keep a level of hope。 So much so that I usually have to pace myself on this type of nonfiction， but I instead listened to the audiobook over two days; the narrator， Karen Chilton， is fantastic。Brittany K。 Barnett tells the story of growing up with a loving family， including her mom who dealt with drug addiction， her first career， deciding to go to law school， and then discovering cases of people imprisoned for lengths of time that were grossly disproportionate to the crimes。 The war on drugs created a war against Black and brown communities disproportionate to white ones by creating a fixed sentencing that was different for powder cocaine to crack cocaine。 This left many people with life sentences for nonviolent drug offenses。 Not only does Barnett take us through the cases that crossed her path and those she took on， but she also takes a look at the system and laws that were created during the war on drugs and also where things stand now。Reading the cases in this book and how addiction was treated cruelly and criminally is heartbreaking， but Barnett always has hope and leads with action。 A Knock At Midnight is a fantastic mix of memoir， history， law， legal cases， a love letter to Black communities， and how to turn outrage into action for change。 I can’t recommend this book enough and have been kicking myself for taking so long to get to it。（TW addiction/ partner abuse/ malpractice pregnancy loss/ brief suicide mention， detail/ racism/ prison abuse）--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link。bookriot。com/view/56a820。。。 。。。more
Natalie Layne
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Read this book。
Neeraj
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What an amazing read。Loved tracking all the individual stories。 You are a true inspiration Brittany， thank you for all that you do for people who otherwise have no hope。
Jill
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An inspirational and enlightening book。 A must-read fir anyone who wants to understand mass incarceration in this country better。
Cathleen
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Powerful。 I see now through Brittany Barnett's perspective those incarcerated were punished for surviving conditions of extreme poverty， intergenerational trauma and societal neglect。 She presents her activism to release people from the injustice of these horrific sentences。I thank Eylse for highly recommending this book。 I listened to the audiobook and will follow-up reading the book。 Powerful。 I see now through Brittany Barnett's perspective those incarcerated were punished for surviving conditions of extreme poverty， intergenerational trauma and societal neglect。 She presents her activism to release people from the injustice of these horrific sentences。I thank Eylse for highly recommending this book。 I listened to the audiobook and will follow-up reading the book。 。。。more
Jeanetta Glass
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This book was gut wrenching， but educational。 I thoroughly enjoyed being educated about how unfair America's war on drugs was to African Americans。 The disparities are unbelievable。 Brittany is a beautiful person。 HIGHLY recommended read！ This book was gut wrenching， but educational。 I thoroughly enjoyed being educated about how unfair America's war on drugs was to African Americans。 The disparities are unbelievable。 Brittany is a beautiful person。 HIGHLY recommended read！ 。。。more
Beth Fender
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As the author points out， the stories of incarcerated people are always more complex than the court transcripts might lead you to believe。 Ms。 Barnett's book introduces us to several of the real people who found themselves behind bars due to the "war on drugs。" It personalizes the realities portrayed in 13th， with names and families。 Well worth reading and reflecting。 As the author points out， the stories of incarcerated people are always more complex than the court transcripts might lead you to believe。 Ms。 Barnett's book introduces us to several of the real people who found themselves behind bars due to the "war on drugs。" It personalizes the realities portrayed in 13th， with names and families。 Well worth reading and reflecting。 。。。more
Holli
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4。8 Great story！ Read it！ Books that I have read that made this story even more powerful; 1。 Dopesick -Beth Macy2。 American Prison- Shane Bauer3。 Just Mercy- Bryan Stevenson
Katie Bee
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A powerful memoir by a truly exceptional human being。 Touched by the scourge of addiction and inhumane sentencing laws in her younger days， for years Barnett balanced a high-powered corporate legal job with moonlighting as a pro bono advocate for people "buried alive"。 These people may have had minor involvement with the drug trade， but due to our unjust sentencing laws and unjust prosecutors， they ended up sentenced to life in prison。 Barnett's memoir is both her own story and the stories of th A powerful memoir by a truly exceptional human being。 Touched by the scourge of addiction and inhumane sentencing laws in her younger days， for years Barnett balanced a high-powered corporate legal job with moonlighting as a pro bono advocate for people "buried alive"。 These people may have had minor involvement with the drug trade， but due to our unjust sentencing laws and unjust prosecutors， they ended up sentenced to life in prison。 Barnett's memoir is both her own story and the stories of the men and women she fought （and is still fighting） to save。 It is incredibly moving， infuriating， and emotional， and Barnett is a very gifted writer。 I am wholeheartedly behind her and I hope she and her fellow warriors are able to continue their righteous work for years to come。 And more， I hope that WE the people can keep the pressure on politicians to change and revolutionize our unjust system， so that the future becomes brighter and all the unjustly imprisoned are not forced to rely on the tiny slim hope of clemency。 。。。more
Sharon
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Exhausting， sad， and depressing。 But certainly worth reading。
Dawnmarch
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By turns a devastating indictment of our criminal “justice” system and a soaring testament to the power of the relentless struggle for true justice。 All told through edge-of-your-seat real life stories。 The best non-fiction book I’ve read in a long time。
Kyle Henderson
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Absolutely brilliant。 For a non fiction book， there was a distinct narrative feeling that pulls you in and won’t let go。 The author has a way of telling a story so intimately that you feel you completely know the characters and their lives。 Mixed in with that is a healthy dose of education on the horrors of the justice system and prison sentencing laws。 It was eye opening to say the least。 This is definitely a book I will be referencing in the future in conversations。
Erin McGinn
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Read this book。 Now。 Like right this second。 While heartbreaking there was a hopefulness that the author never lost throughout her own story and those who she has helped to free from prison。 I learned so much and want to know even more。 This one will stick with me。
Tabitha Driver
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- Brittany Barnett definitely shows the pain of prison and identified specific examples of unfairness in the American legal system that every American ought to be aware of。- The writing was a little too redundant for me。 - I'm not a fan of Trump， but I thought she was a little harsh and presumptive about his unwillingness to address the unfairness of the prison sentences --especially since he did sign the First Step Act。 - Brittany Barnett definitely shows the pain of prison and identified specific examples of unfairness in the American legal system that every American ought to be aware of。- The writing was a little too redundant for me。 - I'm not a fan of Trump， but I thought she was a little harsh and presumptive about his unwillingness to address the unfairness of the prison sentences --especially since he did sign the First Step Act。 。。。more
Sheri S。
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4。5 ⭐ - Barnett does an excellent job of pointing out major problems with the judicial system， especially with regards to racial issues and mandatory minimum sentencing laws。 Barnett writes about her own life and journey to becoming a lawyer。 And， she shares the stories of many individuals who have been given harsh life sentences without the possibility of parole。 It is these cases and Barnett's fight for justice that make this book so impactful。 I highly recommend this book！ 4。5 ⭐ - Barnett does an excellent job of pointing out major problems with the judicial system， especially with regards to racial issues and mandatory minimum sentencing laws。 Barnett writes about her own life and journey to becoming a lawyer。 And， she shares the stories of many individuals who have been given harsh life sentences without the possibility of parole。 It is these cases and Barnett's fight for justice that make this book so impactful。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Hannah Brown
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This was an alarming and eye opening book about the necessity for serious criminal justice reform。 I was so upset throughout much of this book， the racial disparity broke my heart。 It reminded me of The Sun Does Shine， but it focused on death sentences related to drug felonies。 Fantastic and engaging read。
Emma
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This was an incredible read。 It not only highlighted so many of the ways our system of incarceration is deeply flawed， but also brought to light so many personal stories and lives that have been affected by the system。 I found myself not only learning about it， but also feeling deeply invested in the outcome of each story shared in this book。 Highly recommend that everyone read this story！
Dana
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