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Book review: Out of Orange: A Memoir by Cleary Wolters

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Out of Orange: A Memoir by Cleary Wolters (first published in 2015 by HarperCollins)

Alex Vause as we know her - the woman behind the glasses, husky voice, winged jet black eyeliner and pale skin – is much different in real life.

Her recently released memoir Out of Orange: A memoir delves into the seedy world of international drug trade and cartels – the dangers involved and the risks taken by young, naïve people and (mostly women) who are in it to make a quick wad of cash (it’s a lot of money per trip). 

A big payoff requires high risk. But how long will your luck last? The million dollar question. It tells the story of how Wolters was coerced into the trade and how she ended up introducing Piper Kerman (“Chapman”) to get involved in criminal activities that would eventually send them both to jail – to experience a whole new set of challenges set out in detail by Wolters. 

She also speaks about the many inconsistencies in Piper’s story. OITNB, the Netflix series that we’ve all come to know and love is based on a book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, written by Piper.  

Wolters uses this memoir to set a lot of things straight, e.g. she said she and Piper never actually had sex in prison and they were only together in the same prison for less than 5 weeks. The show, naturally, romanticised prison relationships. Something Cleary says is complete bull. Is much more primal than that. Wolters’ past was also not as colourful as presented on TV. 

The book is ideal for those who love non-fiction, crime and punishment stories filled with sobering life lessons told from the horse’s mouth.

Keen on reading this book? Buy your copy now.

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