“Solitary is the stunning record of a hero''s journey. In it a giant, Albert Woodfox, carries us boldly and without apology through the powerful, incredibly painful yet astonishingly inspiring story of a life lived virtually in chains. He is, as readers will learn, a ''Man of Steel.'' Every white person in America must read this book. It should be required reading for every advocate of ''law and order,'' every prosecutor, every warden, every prison guard and every police officer in America. It should be taught in every law school and every political science class. And any ''public servant'' currently holding a local, state or federal office who refuses to read it should step down. As a citizen of the United States, this book embarrasses me deeply. And it makes me furious.”

— Mike Farrell, author of Just Call Me Mike and Of Mule and Man

“Albert Woodfox shares his coming-of-age story with crystal clear-eyed perspective, holding nothing back as he unwraps the unvarnished truth of his life. Deftly weaving the undeniable threads of race, class, and systemic inequities that made his story--and so many similar ones--possible, his journey of resilience, perseverance, growth, and triumph is at once a cautionary tale, a challenge to all we think we know about the justice system, and an inspiring testimony to the power of the human spirit.”

— Reverend Leah Daughtry, co-author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics

“A candid, heartbreaking, and infuriating chronicle . . . as well as a personal narrative that shows how institutionalized racism festered at the core of our judicial system and in the country''s prisons . . . It''s impossible to read Solitary and not feel anger . . . A timely memoir of that experience that should be required reading in the age of the Black Lives Matter movement. It''s also a story of conviction and humanity that shows some spirits are unbreakable.”

— NPR

“A man who spent four decades in solitary confinement for a crime he did not commit tells his shocking story . . . Woodfox explains how he overcame [brutal conditions] despite relentless despair . . . An important story for these times . . . An astonishing true saga of incarceration that would have surely faced rejection if submitted as a novel on the grounds that it could never happen in real life.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“Wrenching, sometimes numbing, sometimes almost physically painful to read. You want to turn away, put the book down: Enough, no more! But you can''t, because after forty-plus years, the very least we owe Woodfox is attention to his story . . . [ Solitary ''s] moral power is so overwhelming . . . Solitary should make every reader writhe with shame and ask: What am I going to do to help change this?”

— Washington Post

“We have had the opportunity to read a new book called Solitary by Albert Woodfox. Anyone who believes in capital punishment should read it . . . We should consider the story of Albert Woodfox. How can you call for the death penalty when you know an innocent man could be in the gallows? Is that risk civilized society can take? Not here, not now. Not ever again.”

— Art Cullen, Storm Lake Times

“In this devastating, superb memoir, Woodfox reflects on his decades inside the Louisiana prison system . . . The book is a stunning indictment of a judicial system ''not concerned with innocence or justice,'' and a crushing account of the inhumanity of solitary confinement. This breathtaking, brutal, and intelligent book will move and inspire readers.”

— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In beautifully poetic language that starkly contrasts the world he''s describing, Woodfox awes and inspires. He illustrates the power of the human spirit, while illuminated the dire need for prison reform in the United States. Solitary is a beautiful blend of passion, terror, and hope that everyone needs to experience.”

— Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“A man who would not be broken. Not by more than 40 years of solitary in Angola, not by maddening injustice in courts, not by beatings, isolation, or loneliness. Albert''s courage, wisdom, and kindness will inspire all who fight for social justice and have the good sense to read this book.”

— Barry Scheck, Co-Founder of the Innocence Project

“Sage, profound and deeply humane, Albert Woodfox has authored an American testament. Solitary is not simply an indictment of the cruelties, absurdities and hypocrisies of the criminal justice system, it is a call to conscience for all who have allowed these acts to be done in our name.”

— Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope

“Solitary is an astounding story and makes clear the inhumanity of solitary confinement. How Albert Woodfox maintained his compassion and sense of hope throughout his ordeal is both amazing and inspiring.”

— Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning , winner of the National Book Award

“[Woodfox''s] incredible story is necessary reading, not only to understand our era of mass incarceration, but the entire history of the judicial system in America.”

— Town & Country

“Albert Woodfox''s extraordinary life story is both an inspiring triumph of the human spirit and a powerful call for the necessity of prison reform.”

— Van Jones, President of the Dream Corps and Host of CNN''s "The Van Jones Show"

“An uncommonly powerful memoir about four decades in confinement . . . A profound book about friendship”

— Dwight Garner, New York Times

“Heart-rending”

— Thomas Chatterton Williams, New York Times Book Review