Waiting To Be Heard, A Memoir by Amanda Knox

Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox was an interesting book for our May, 2014 meeting.  I had a troubled time getting through the book, and struggled the next month to catch up on that book, in fact was not finished by the time the next book club came around.  But I had to finish the book!  Even though I struggled, I wanted to know the details that she had gone through.  Thirteen of us were at book club and all of us agreed we liked the book.  "Fascinated -- really liked it," was one comment.  "It was a true crime book, I was looking to find the pieces and she did a nice job of weaving and justifying all the things she had thrown against her.  Thought she was a brave thing to learn to defend herself," came from one who likes to read crime stories. "Liked the book, but wouldn't recommend it" said another.

Some of us were frustrated with Amanda's attitude and were reminded that in Seattle, smoking marijuana was legal and probably a part of how she was raised, even the fact she had such independence!  Some felt her parents could have been a little more supportive on her trip over to Italy, who just lets their daughter go without plans?   Some said as she progressed towards the court case she appeared "unlikable, very quirky."  We were glad for the support of the friends she had in prison (when she left, they cheered for her) and the priest who probably saved her life.

She definitely tried to take responsibility for the situation, which we felt hurt her in the end.  We felt she should have gotten help sooner, but the Italian courts and US courts were so different.  She wanted this book to be her story, for us to see why she did what she did.  In the authors notes in the book she wrote: "I been out of prison for over a year.  I had to relive everything, in soul-wrenching detail.  I read court documents and the transcripts of hearings, translated them, and quoted them throughout.  Aided by my own diaries and letters, all the conversations were rendered according to my memory."

Everyone one of us voted and we felt she was 100% NOT GUILTY.  Our leader shared some books that were also written about this story.  Someone who is from Europe, said many Europeans feel she is guilty.  As Amanda Knox stated in her book, much that was the publicity released by the prosecutor.