PICKING COTTON Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

In 1984, at the age of 22, Ronald Cotton was convicted of raping Jennifer Thompson and imprisoned for 11 years. After he was exonerated, he forgave his accuser, and together they tell their story in this work. Narrator Karen White’s tense delivery suggests Jennifer’s fear during the rape and the long-term trauma she suffered afterwards. White also mirrors Thompson's regrets and her resolve that Cotton receive restitution. In contrast, Richard Allen’s characterization of Cotton suggests his naïveté as a young black man accused of rape. Allen reflects Cotton's initial compliance with the police, his anger at the horrors of prison, his growing faith over the years, and his gratitude for those who helped him achieve his release. Both narrators successfully portray the development of the friendship between Cotton and Thompson-Cannino. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]