Throughout his prison stay, Hinton relies on his imagination to help him survive. He recounts a private visit with the Queen of England, a marriage to Halle Berry, and a second to Sandra Bullock. In his mind, he won Wimbledon, and is being recruited by the Yankees. At one point he even pretends, over the phone, to be somebody else. He makes it clear that his imaginings have been a source of escape for him. While other inmates suffered from boredom, repetition, and fear of the inevitable, Hinton writes: “I traveled in my mind. I had a whole, full life in my imagination, and so I didn’t always ache for what was missing” (225).

In fact, Hinton starts the book club so other inmates can have a means of mental escape; otherwise, they spend all their time thinking about their approaching executions. He convinces the warden that allowing the inmates to read would keep them manageable; he adds, “But really I knew it [allowing inmates to read] would set them free. If the guys had books, they could travel the world” (144). Ultimately, the book club is a success. Hinton is pleased: “Bring in the books, I thought.