Stranger in Two Worlds

A very well written book, that tells you just what it is like to be a long term prisoner in a women's jail, with the combination of callousness, caring and damaged people who inhabit it. I also understood why an upper class woman with a good defense team could be sentenced to such a long term for a crime with extenuating circumstances. It is clear from her own words that she would not let her attorneys do their job, and would rather have her unbelievable version of events told in court than have a successful defence. A woman of intelligence, who brought great improvements to her jail, she has little insight into herself and her neuroses. The book is a page turner, from her obsession with the arrogant Scarsdale Doctor, to the shooting, her trial and her humiliation and recovery in jail. I recommend this book

Jean Harris'"Stranger In Two Worlds" is a remarkable document of an upper middle class woman's experience in a state prison. Her descriptions of the circumstances and characters are colorful and tragic, and yet full of unexpected humor. She describes her fight to retain her dignity and gain dignity for young mothers in prison by founding an in-prison day care center so that inmates may remain connected, in a positive way, with their young children. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the justice system, the prison world, or women's rights.