"When I Got Out is a great read: the perfect sequel to What It Was Like. Laurence Allan Ingber, a teenager when he entered prison for a double homicide, is finally out after 40 years - older, wiser in the ways of surviving prison, but totally clueless about living in today's world. His Rip Van Winkle-like perspective provides rich, eye-opening insight on how much has changed - as well as on those things that never will. Larry's simple desire for a quiet life of anonymity is thwarted by his parole officer determined to lock him up again, the dark shadow of his notorious past, and a crooked lawyer who stole his inheritance he needs to survive. I followed Larry's increasingly desperate - and dangerous efforts - to get what's rightfully his with mounting anxiety as it forced him to risk his freedom, his life, and even his new-found love, the one person who gives Larry's life as a free man any value or meaning."
When I Got Out is a sensational novel that never veers off into sensationalism itself. It delves into the mysterious eddies of life and deepens as one wades further into them. Peter Seth shines a black light onto one man's life and helps us see what is hidden in plain sight of not only his, but of our own as well. This is what great novelists do.
When I Got Out is an intriguing gem that offers a unique turn on narrative voice and unsettling personal discovery. Peter Seth writes with calm authority, masterful unpredictably, and carefully crafted internal reflection. Delving into this exploration of then and now — where forty lost years have changed all the rules of engagement — is to be swept into a tale of moral reflection, irony, betrayal, and impossible choices.
All the reader has to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
All the reader has to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.