Dead Man Walking：The Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate

In1982，SisterHelenPrejeanbecamethespiritualadvisortoPatrickSonnier，theconvictedkilleroftwoteenagerswhowassentencedtodieintheelectricchairofLouisiana'sAngolaStatePrison.InthemonthsbeforeSonnier'sdeath，theRomanCatholicnuncametoknowamanwhowasasterrifiedashehadoncebeenterrifying.Atthesametime，shecametoknowthefamiliesofthevictimsandthemenwhosejobitwastoexecutehim--menwhooftenharboreddoubtsabouttherightnessofwhattheyweredoing.Outofthatdreadfulintimacycomesaprofoundlymovingspiritualjourneythroughoursystemofcapitalpunishment.Confrontingboththeplightofthecondemnedandtherageofthebereaved，theneedsofacrime-riddensocietyandtheChristianimperativeoflove，DeadManWalkingisanunprecedentedlookatthehumanconsequencesofthedeathpenalty，abookthatisbothenlighteninganddevastating.