Living with Conviction: A True Crime Memoir by Toby Dorr – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

Living With Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering Choices by Toby Dorr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Living With Conviction is a powerful True Crime Memoir written by the author about how she helped a convicted murderer escape from prison in a dog crate. It is a poignant, moving, real, and raw account of the sensationalized news story that was the inspiration for the movie ‘Jailbreak Lovers’. Told from Toby’s perspective the reader gets a firsthand account of the events leading up to the escape as well as when they were captured nearly two weeks later. Toby takes the reader through her time incarcerated in prison and her journey towards finding redemption, healing, and her own self-worth.

Having a Diploma in Criminology, and loving true crime books, this book was a must read for me. It is one thing to read a book written about a true crime case, or watch a movie about it, but it is another to read a firsthand account from the person themselves. Reading Toby’s memoir helped me gain insight into the reasons why someone might decide to commit a crime and helped me to gain a better understanding of the complex emotions that are often involved. Toby’s story is more complex than the sensationalized news story, or the tv movie of the week. It is about more than the thrilling jailbreak, the running from the law, or the high-speed police chase as Toby and John tried to evade capture. It is a story about self-discovery and finding one’s self-worth.

This was a beautifully written memoir that gives the reader insight into how one wrong mistake can have life altering changes. Toby’s life forever changed the moment she met and fell in love with a convicted murderer while she was working in the prison dog training program. Until the moment she met John her life had been dull, monotonous, and she had never even had a speeding ticket. When she met him, she felt like she was truly being listened to for the first time in her life and the two formed a strong connection. Until Toby met John it is apparent that she never felt heard, and that she felt unloved, and unwanted by those around her. Toby seems to be a people pleaser who did not know how to say no or stand up for herself. Meeting John changed that for her because he was attentive and for once in her life, she truly felt heard and loved. Helping him escape prison was a mistake that came with repercussions but ultimately helped her become stronger and find her purpose in life. This book had drama, danger, angst, heartbreak, love, hope, courage, faith, healing, and redemption. I highly recommend this book!

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