We are excited to help announce that longtime BINJ prison and parole reporter Jean Trounstine is releasing her eighth book and first novel, “Sounds Like Trouble to Me.” It is truly remarkable how prolific she is, notably beyond the long form investigative work that she is known for through BINJ and other journalistic outlets.
Of course, Jean’s fiction is inspired by her experiences and sources from the prison beat. And at her upcoming event in Cambridge, you will get a chance to see her in conversation with some of those inspirations. Please join Jean for a special evening of community at Porter Square Books. Details below …
About the Book
“Sounds Like Trouble to Me” follows a corrections officer who kills her abusive husband and finds herself suddenly on the other side of the law. Shocked by the systemic abuse of female prisoners and confronted with the complicated history of her own trauma, she must struggle to uncover the truth of what happened before she goes to trial. It is the women she meets who change her, eventually sparking a MeToo movement behind bars. New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt calls the novel a blindingly original and truly remarkable read:
“Trounstine’s stunner isn’t just about the toll prison life takes on women, it’s about the breaking points in all of our lives, from domestic abuse to an attorney’s rage at injustice to the way memory haunts, fools, and eventually frees us. Rich with love for her indelible characters, Trounstine’s novel is a blindingly original MeToo, showing how even in the darkest environment, female friendship not only nurtures, but builds extraordinary power and light. A truly remarkable read… Trounstine has spoken around the world about prison reform, and this book, her fictional debut, is extraordinary.”
About the Speakers
Jean Trounstine is an activist, educator, and journalist who has written extensively for the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and worked at Framingham Women’s Prison for a decade, where she launched the first prison Shakespeare program in the United States. She will be joined in conversation by Angelia Jefferson, a formerly incarcerated freedom fighter and coordinator at Families for Justice as Healing, and Stacey Borden, the founder and executive director of New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc., who spent nearly 30 years in and out of the system and now serves as a leading advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
