Criminal That I Am: A Memoir
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.35 (792 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1476785724 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-05-29 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
I loved this book.” (Matthew Logelin, New York Times bestselling author of Two Kisses for Maddy) . Her search for justice leads her to a merciful crime of the most human variety within a morally bankrupt criminal system. Although her journey is a tough one, Criminal That I Am contains many moments enlivened by Ridha’s wry wit and powerful sense of irony. “Stinging and insightfulAcknowledging the balance between her heart and her head, Ridha amply demonstrates what can happen when the balance is upset.” (Kirkus)“An unflinching accountPositioned as both insider and outsider, lawyer and criminal, Ridha creates a juicy narrative that
She is pursuing a doctoral degree in legal anthropology, urban studies, and criminal justice. Criminal That I Am is her first book. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Jennifer Ridha has at various times in her life been a lawyer, a law professor, and a criminal defendant in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Visit her website at JenniferRidha.
I also really enjoyed the Baghdad chapter Shaina It takes a brave person to take the thing that they are least proud of and put it out there for public consumption. It also takes an extremely talented writer to turn that chapter of their life into a compelling memoir that grabs your attention from page one and never lets you go. Jennifer Ridha manages to do both in Criminal That I Am.This book lays out all of the events of how an attorney came to be on the wrong side of the law while expertly weaving in humor and personal insights. I also really enjoyed the Baghdad chapter. I appreciate that peek into Ms. Ridha's background. "The heart has reasons that reason cannot know" according to catsunshine. On its surface, Criminal That I Am is a straightforward story about a young, capable attorney who winds up falling for one of her clients. As one rapidly (and rabidly:) turns the pages, however, it becomes clear that Ridha is mining material of a much deeper, complex, and more inspired nature.The manner in which the author’s compassion for her client becomes inseparable from her desire to master the absurd dichotomies of the legal system, alongside a growing attraction she can barely understand, is masterfully articulated. I can see its admirable handling lost on reader. "3.5 Stars - Anyone can Make a Mistake, Right? I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This memoir starts with Jennifer Ridha being woken up in the middle of the night by federal agents pounding on her door. She knows exactly why they have come. I was immediately pulled into this novel by this engaging and mysterious first chapter. This late night visit by the feds felt more like a suspense novel than a memoir. As the reader, I was immediately wanted to know: what had she done? And why did she do it?Unfortunately, I felt that the pacing slowed down considerably as the story continued. The narr. .5 Stars - Anyone can Make a Mistake, Right?" according to TheShadesofOrange. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This memoir starts with Jennifer Ridha being woken up in the middle of the night by federal agents pounding on her door. She knows exactly why they have come. I was immediately pulled into this novel by this engaging and mysterious first chapter. This late night visit by the feds felt more like a suspense novel than a memoir. As the reader, I was immediately wanted to know: what had she done? And why did she do it?Unfortunately, I felt that the pacing slowed down considerably as the story continued. The narr
In a decision inexplicable even to herself, guided only by her indignation and infatuation, she agrees. As media scrutiny and the pressures of Cameron’s case mount and as Jennifer becomes increasingly transfixed by her charismatic but troubled client, he asks her to do the unthinkable: commit a crime. A candid memoir from a talented young lawyer who becomes romantically entangled with the convicted drug felon she represents—Cameron Douglas, son of film actor Michael Douglas—and who soon makes the mistake of her life. Recounted with brutal introspection and self-deprecating humor, this strange and twisted love story contemplates what we make of crime and punishmentand what it makes of us.. When her transgression is discovered, her criminal case begins, and her life as she knows it is over.A page-turning trip through professional self-destruction, tabloid scandal, and self-reckoning, Criminal That I Am is about the choices one woman makes: how they define her, how she lives with them, and, ultimately, how she is transformed by them. Or does she?Criminal That I Am is a defense attorney’s account of the criminal justice system as seen through the prism of a particular case: her own. Jennifer Ridha is enlisted to defend Cameron Douglas in a federal drug traffickin