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Kim Cano
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On the Inside Kindle Edition

by Kim Cano (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,561 ratings
See all formats and editions
She didn't know what she stood to lose - until hope was all she had left.

Kristen was living the dream - a loving husband, adorable children, a successful career. Why hadn't it been enough? She's had a lot of time to ponder the answer - behind bars.

It was a little fudging of the numbers, just once to cover some unpaid bills. Somehow, she wound up a convicted white-collar criminal, sentenced to a women's prison full of drug dealers and murderers, enduring days of mind-numbing tedium punctuated by moments of harrowing violence. A place where respect is earned with one's fists.

Yet within these walls, random acts of kindness occur, friendships form, and people fall in love. Letters from her sister-in-law keep Kristen connected to the family she's lost. They give her hope that someday she might be given a second chance. But first, she must face the personal demons lurking in the shadows of her soul - and find a way to forgive herself.

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  1. Print length
    325 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 9, 2013
  5. File size
    2723 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Second Round finalist in Amazon's 2014 Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.

"Vivid, intense, emotionally charged and yet absolutely realistic, On The Inside's ultimately a story of hope." D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review


"Only a great book and incredible writing can touch readers this deeply." TBR


"Occasionally a book comes along that reaches off the pages and takes on a life of its own. On The Inside is one of those books." Patricia, Room With Books

From the Author

Although this novel is a work of fiction, the main character is based on my real life sister-in-law. Writing to her for the last five years gave me the idea for this book, and I would like to thank her and her fellow inmates for answering all my questions about prison life so I could accurately portray their world.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00H7RG8Q4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (December 9, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 9, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2723 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 325 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,561 ratings

About the author

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Kim Cano

Kim Cano

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Kim Cano is the author of six women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. She writes emotionally charged book club reads about second chances, family life, and friendship.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,561 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Deanna S.
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing, thought-provoking story.
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
Kristen goes to prison for stealing from her employer and soon learns that life on the inside is a complicated combination of boredom, loneliness, stress, and fear. She’s lost everything—her husband won’t speak to her and her children are being kept away from her, too. Without the kindness of her sister-in-law who writes to her regularly, she would be completely lost.

As the years go by, Kristen makes friends and enemies. She finds her own path in the prison system with the goal to get out someday and hopefully be a part of her family’s life again.

On The Inside by Kim Cano is a thought-provoking story filled with interesting characters and the lives they lead inside prison. Peppered with strong emotions and heartfelt connections, you will find yourself intrigued by the women who live behind bars and their many stories. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy a realistic telling of what it takes to live on the inside.
3 people found this helpful
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Kathy
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
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Book was great, but I don’t think it gave a realistic depiction of what prison life is like. The characters were realistic and believable, but I know prisons are much more violent places than what she described. It was a very quick, fun read.
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Colleen Flynn
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful story of love, hardship, devotion, sorrow, and forgiveness
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book will hook you from the very first paragraph, as you meet Lakeisha, a mail scanner for a women's prison. She reads the prisoner's correspondence, checks it for drugs and dangerous devices, and delivers the mail.

Lakeisha is drawn into the correspondence Kristen has with her husband. And in this way, the reader is also drawn into the story about life inside a correctional facility for women.

Kristen is the main character. She's in jail for bilking her employer out of a huge sum of money. In the process, she lost the trust of her husband and children and virtually bankrupted them. They are bitter and wary of her, but she continues to send letters to her husband telling him how sorry she is. The only family member to write back is her sister-in-law, Olivia, who extends a lifeline to her with family pictures and events.

We also meet a panoply of colorful characters from the flashy inmate, Lupe, to the prison psychiatrist, Megan, the warden, Laura, Kristen's antagonist, Jess, and many others. Each person has their story, their trials, and triumphs, and you'll find yourself rooting for all of them.

Ms. Cano expertly weaves in multiple points of view to make you understand and empathize with all of these people. Each has his or her own pain and sorrow as well as aspirations for a better future. Necessarily, some of the stories end tragically whereas others move on as best they can. But Kristen and the others learn to take happiness in small places and to accept what can't be changed.

The story is uplifting and poignant. You won't want to miss this. I read this in a single evening because I not just wanted to find out what happened to the characters, but I felt for them and laughed and cried and wished so much for them to be victorious in their lives.

Everything was resolved and there were no loose ends. Even though there was sadness leavened into the book, the overall message is joyful and shows the power of love, devotion, and forgiveness. You won't be disappointed with this wonderful story.
46 people found this helpful
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Mandy G.
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, brief overview of life inside a women's prison
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
I think this was a good, brief overview about what life is like for some women inside a women's prison. It was not meant to be an in-depth, intense, blow-by-blow, dynamic study of the day-to-day issues that such women have to deal with. It was an easy read and the author was able to conjure up some empathy for the situations that the women in the book experienced. As such, the author succeeded in her goal to present an abbreviated journey of these various women. Having had experience with this population, I didn't find anything unsettling or new, but I can see that it could be an eye-opener for those who have no understanding of our penal system. I liked the book and am glad that I read it. My thanks to Amazon for bringing this book to my attention through their alliance with BookBub.
4 people found this helpful
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Patty
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
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Eye opening story, sad but happy all in one. Loved the ending too!! Would recommend this book to anyone else.
One person found this helpful
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Carpediem
4.0 out of 5 stars An alternate view
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2022
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Written from an unusual viewpoint, life inside is a clever take that involves the boss ladies having real emotions. Interesting threads to follow made this a good read.
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Montoyamama
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
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I loved the whole book! You are an amazing writer! Now I just want to hear more about how the girls lives are going!
2 people found this helpful
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Patti Casto
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2023
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I loved this book so much I finished it in one day. I will definitely be looking for more books from this author.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

joanne rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2022
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I’ve enjoyed this book so much I read it in two days I didn’t want it to end I wish there was a sequel x
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W. A. Burt
4.0 out of 5 stars Inside Out.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
The style of writing varied between gritty and cheesy but overall it was an enjoyable read,a slightly different take on a prison novel.
I would agree with another reviewer that the book would have benefitted from some chronological definition as Kristen's sentence passed.
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nanajan
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
I have never read a book like this before. It felt more documentary than novel, bringing these amazingly complex characters into our lives. I felt honoured to get to know them all and realised that it wasn't their crimes that defined them. It was how they coped afterward, how prison life changed them, how they grew and adapted. I think I would have really liked Kristen!
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars No depth to this promising storyline.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
Interesting story line but lacks depth. 5 years can go by in a sentence. Serious events occur but the emotion generated is rather bland at times. Never really understood the psycological reason for the main character to get into the situation she did or why her family reacted as they did at the end.
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christinaLogan
5.0 out of 5 stars i loved reading it and got to know all the characters
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
I found this book was difficult to put down...i loved reading it and got to know all the characters..at times it was so moving my eyes filled up...really well researched and most enjoyable...I would definitely recommend this book ...
One person found this helpful
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