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Free: My Search for Meaning
Amanda Knox reflects on her world-famous confinement in an Italian prison—and her return to an “ordinary� life—to reveal hard-won truths about purpose and fulfillment that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt trapped in their own circumstances.
Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit—and became a notorious tabloid story in the process. Though she was exonerated, it’s taken more than a decade for her to reclaim her identity and truly feel free.
Free recounts how Knox survived incarceration, the mistakes she made and misadventures she had reintegrating into society, and culminates in the as-yet-untold story of her return to Italy and the extraordinary relationship she went on to build with the man who sent her to prison. It is the moving saga of how she wrests back her own life from the grip of her story’s notoriety and returns to the quiet matters of a normal life—seeking a life partner, finding a job, or even just going out in public.
In harrowing (and sometimes hilarious) detail, Amanda reveals her personal growth and hard-fought wisdom, recasting her public reckoning as a private reflection on the search for meaning and purpose that will speak to everyone who has persevered through hardship.
Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit—and became a notorious tabloid story in the process. Though she was exonerated, it’s taken more than a decade for her to reclaim her identity and truly feel free.
Free recounts how Knox survived incarceration, the mistakes she made and misadventures she had reintegrating into society, and culminates in the as-yet-untold story of her return to Italy and the extraordinary relationship she went on to build with the man who sent her to prison. It is the moving saga of how she wrests back her own life from the grip of her story’s notoriety and returns to the quiet matters of a normal life—seeking a life partner, finding a job, or even just going out in public.
In harrowing (and sometimes hilarious) detail, Amanda reveals her personal growth and hard-fought wisdom, recasting her public reckoning as a private reflection on the search for meaning and purpose that will speak to everyone who has persevered through hardship.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
February 2, 2025
ARC for review. To be published March 25, 2025.
3.5 stars
Amanda Knox’s first book, WAITING TO BE HEARD was an autobiography dealing mostly with her time spent in jail, prison and on trial. This book goes into a bit more detail with regard to her time in prison and that is quite interesting and also discusses her second trial, but she also covers what her life has been like after.
I was curious to see what Amanda’s life had become and if she had been able to do things outside just being “Amanda Knox.� That isn’t meant as shade toward her, but I can’t imagine her being easily able to slip into the role of, say, a kindergarten teacher or something. Hers might be one of those cases where I would relax my long standing rule about not changing my name after marriage (I would also change my name if I married, say, a Rockefeller, so I could always get good tables at restaurants and upgrades and the like. I am not above abandoning my principles for free stuff!) But I digress�
So she spent four years in prison and eight years on trial. Four years. As stated, the book provides new information on that as well as her re-entry into life, her eventual return to Italy (I would have taken gigantic bodyguards), her relationship with her prosecutor (she’s a better woman than I,) and her personal life.
Amanda has had it hard. She was railroaded and there was absolutely no physical evidence to convict either her of Rafaelle Sollecito (and he’s had an incredibly difficult time too.) I just have always had a hard time with Amanda’s accusation of Patrick Lumumba, who did nothing at all, and, to my recollection, became involved primarily because of Amanda’s accusation.
And, of course, my heart breaks for Meredith Kircher and her family. Based on what Amanda suggests they still believe she bears some guilt, and they don’t feel like there has been justice. At first I thought Amanda wasn’t paying enough attention to that loss, but she includes a nice chapter about Meredith at the end, and I guess I forgot about how short a time they actually knew each other before Meredith’s death.
I liked the book and I strongly support the good work that Amanda is doing now. I hope it makes a difference for others in a similar position.
3.5 stars
Amanda Knox’s first book, WAITING TO BE HEARD was an autobiography dealing mostly with her time spent in jail, prison and on trial. This book goes into a bit more detail with regard to her time in prison and that is quite interesting and also discusses her second trial, but she also covers what her life has been like after.
I was curious to see what Amanda’s life had become and if she had been able to do things outside just being “Amanda Knox.� That isn’t meant as shade toward her, but I can’t imagine her being easily able to slip into the role of, say, a kindergarten teacher or something. Hers might be one of those cases where I would relax my long standing rule about not changing my name after marriage (I would also change my name if I married, say, a Rockefeller, so I could always get good tables at restaurants and upgrades and the like. I am not above abandoning my principles for free stuff!) But I digress�
So she spent four years in prison and eight years on trial. Four years. As stated, the book provides new information on that as well as her re-entry into life, her eventual return to Italy (I would have taken gigantic bodyguards), her relationship with her prosecutor (she’s a better woman than I,) and her personal life.
Amanda has had it hard. She was railroaded and there was absolutely no physical evidence to convict either her of Rafaelle Sollecito (and he’s had an incredibly difficult time too.) I just have always had a hard time with Amanda’s accusation of Patrick Lumumba, who did nothing at all, and, to my recollection, became involved primarily because of Amanda’s accusation.
And, of course, my heart breaks for Meredith Kircher and her family. Based on what Amanda suggests they still believe she bears some guilt, and they don’t feel like there has been justice. At first I thought Amanda wasn’t paying enough attention to that loss, but she includes a nice chapter about Meredith at the end, and I guess I forgot about how short a time they actually knew each other before Meredith’s death.
I liked the book and I strongly support the good work that Amanda is doing now. I hope it makes a difference for others in a similar position.
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March 13, 2025you know how some kids were obsessed with titanic growing up? amanda knox was my titanic (right along with martha stewart). i devoured the youtube series she hosted, 'the scarlet letter reports' so when i saw she had written a memoir when browsing netgalley i was stoked!
amanda knox's writing surprised me. i knew it would be from the heart but it was also really good. every chapter does try to answer her question "what does it mean to be free?" whether it be a personal anecdote or an analysis.
maybe it's because i've been reading a lot of books centered around religion lately, but what i keep coming back to are the moments with don saulo, and how his kindness affected her beyond the prison walls.
"may your enemies become friends, or if not friends, then fools, for we are all fools at times, and may you find wisdom in the fool's mouth"
amanda knox's writing surprised me. i knew it would be from the heart but it was also really good. every chapter does try to answer her question "what does it mean to be free?" whether it be a personal anecdote or an analysis.
maybe it's because i've been reading a lot of books centered around religion lately, but what i keep coming back to are the moments with don saulo, and how his kindness affected her beyond the prison walls.
"may your enemies become friends, or if not friends, then fools, for we are all fools at times, and may you find wisdom in the fool's mouth"
March 28, 2025
Just read the last 25 pages. The rest is a slog. If you want to read a good book about forgiveness I recommend Called to Forgive by Anthony b Thompson
March 13, 2025
In a world where the word "freedom" is often casually tossed around, Amanda Knox offers a profound meditation on what it truly means to be free in her poignant new memoir, "Free: My Search for Meaning." With searing honesty and remarkable insight, Knox takes readers through her harrowing journey from wrongful imprisonment to a different kind of confinement—life as "the girl accused of murder"—and finally to a hard-won freedom that transcends her circumstances.
This isn't Knox's first memoir. In 2013, she published "Waiting to Be Heard," which focused primarily on her wrongful conviction and imprisonment for the 2007 murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. But where that book answered the "what" of her experience, "Free" tackles the far more complex "so what?"—examining how one reclaims an identity and builds meaning after being defined by the worst thing that never happened to you.
The Evolution of Resilience
Knox's narrative is structured to mirror Dante's Divine Comedy, moving from "Inferno" (prison) to "Purgatorio" (freedom but still confined by public perception) to "Paradiso" (genuine freedom through forgiveness and purpose). This framework serves the material beautifully, transforming what could have been merely a traumatic recounting into a philosophical exploration of human resilience.
The book's opening sections about her time in Italy's Capanne prison reveal Knox's remarkable capacity for adaptation. She writes with raw vulnerability about contemplating suicide after her conviction:
"I eventually settled on slitting my wrists. I could do it with a shattered plastic pen. I would turn the shower on as hot as I could get it. I would wait until my cellmates were out in the yard, I would lie down—two quick vertical slits—and I would let the water carry my life slowly down the drain."
What saved her, she explains, was not hope but a conscious choice to live despite her circumstances. This epiphany—that accepting her reality rather than waiting for rescue was essential to survival—marks the first of many profound insights Knox shares throughout the memoir.
Finding Identity Beyond Infamy
Knox's prose shines brightest when she examines how public perception shaped her post-prison existence. Her description of struggling to reconnect with others while carrying the baggage of global infamy is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking:
"I'd had more transparency about my potential fate when I was on trial; my lawyers always gave it to me straight."
The reader witnesses Knox's painful attempts to reintegrate into society—her failed relationships, her paranoia about being recognized, the bizarre experience of having strangers approach her with proposals or death threats. One particularly moving section details how she was manipulated by a con man who pretended to have been wrongfully accused himself, exploiting her desperate need to be understood.
The Path to Genuine Freedom
What elevates "Free" beyond a typical post-trauma memoir is Amanda Knox's evolving understanding of freedom as a practice rather than a state of being. Through her connection with the Innocence Network, her correspondence with her former prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, and her eventual face-to-face meeting with him, Knox demonstrates how freedom ultimately comes through agency and compassion:
"To be free is to be powerful, and if your power is kindness, you are always free. No one can stop you from being kind."
This perspective allows Knox to ultimately move beyond righteous anger toward something more profound: a reconciliation not just with her circumstances but with the very people who caused her suffering.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works:
1. Philosophical depth - Knox seamlessly weaves philosophical concepts from Stoicism, Zen Buddhism, and existentialism into her personal narrative
2. Emotional honesty - She never shies away from difficult truths, including her own mistakes and ongoing struggles
3. Structural brilliance - The Dante-inspired framework gives meaningful shape to a complex emotional journey
4. Universal relevance - Knox effectively translates her extraordinary circumstances into insights applicable to everyday challenges
Where It Falls Short:
1. Occasional defensiveness - While largely transcendent, Knox sometimes slips into a defensive tone when addressing critics
2. Uneven pacing - The "Purgatorio" section feels somewhat rushed compared to the meticulously detailed "Inferno"
3. Limited perspective on others - While Knox strives for empathy, some key figures in her story (particularly Meredith Kercher's family) remain somewhat flat
4. Idealistic conclusions - Her hard-won wisdom occasionally veers into platitudes that seem too neat for the messy reality she describes
A Cultural Mirror
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of "Free" is how Amanda Knox uses her extraordinary circumstances to illuminate broader cultural issues. Her examination of "the Sisterhood of Ill Repute"—women like Monica Lewinsky and Lorena Bobbitt who've been publicly shamed and reduced to tabloid caricatures—offers a scathing critique of how media narratives flatten complex human beings into simple villains or victims.
Similarly, her discussion of the "single victim fallacy"—the idea that acknowledging her suffering somehow diminishes Meredith Kercher's victimhood—provides a nuanced perspective on how our culture often pits victims against each other rather than recognizing the complex web of harm created by violence and injustice.
Final Assessment
"Free" Amanda Knox is not just a memoir about wrongful conviction and its aftermath. It's a profound meditation on what it means to be human in a world that constantly seeks to define us, judge us, and confine us to simplistic narratives. Knox writes:
"You can't choose your life, but you can choose how you feel about it, which will affect your life moving forward as you encounter an endless string of new challenges."
This hard-won wisdom—earned through extraordinary suffering and remarkable resilience—makes "Free" essential reading not just for those interested in Amanda Knox's specific case, but for anyone who has ever felt trapped by circumstances, defined by others, or in search of meaning amid seemingly senseless suffering.
For readers familiar with Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" or Pema Chödrön's "When Things Fall Apart," Knox's memoir offers a contemporary companion that demonstrates how ancient wisdom about suffering and resilience remains relevant in our hyperconnected, judgment-filled world.
While not without flaws, "Free" ultimately delivers on its ambitious promise: to transform one woman's extraordinary trauma into universal insights about the nature of freedom, the practice of compassion, and the art of creating meaning even in life's darkest moments.
Personal Reflection
I received an advance reader copy of "Free" in exchange for an honest review, and I found myself unexpectedly moved by Amanda Knox's journey. Having followed her case peripherally over the years, I approached the book with my own preconceptions—some I wasn't even aware of until Knox's candid writing forced me to confront them.
What struck me most was the evolution evident in Knox's writing since her first memoir. Where "Waiting to Be Heard" necessarily focused on establishing facts and proclaiming innocence, "Free" operates from a place of hard-won wisdom. The voice is more contemplative, the insights more universal, and the emotional landscape infinitely more nuanced.
At its core, this is a book about transformation—not just Knox's personal evolution from trauma victim to meaning-maker, but the transformation possible for all of us when we choose to view our wounds not as defining limitations but as portals to deeper understanding. In that sense, Knox has created something truly remarkable: a memoir that transcends its genre to become a genuine guide to living with purpose even when—perhaps especially when—life deals its cruelest blows.
This isn't Knox's first memoir. In 2013, she published "Waiting to Be Heard," which focused primarily on her wrongful conviction and imprisonment for the 2007 murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. But where that book answered the "what" of her experience, "Free" tackles the far more complex "so what?"—examining how one reclaims an identity and builds meaning after being defined by the worst thing that never happened to you.
The Evolution of Resilience
Knox's narrative is structured to mirror Dante's Divine Comedy, moving from "Inferno" (prison) to "Purgatorio" (freedom but still confined by public perception) to "Paradiso" (genuine freedom through forgiveness and purpose). This framework serves the material beautifully, transforming what could have been merely a traumatic recounting into a philosophical exploration of human resilience.
The book's opening sections about her time in Italy's Capanne prison reveal Knox's remarkable capacity for adaptation. She writes with raw vulnerability about contemplating suicide after her conviction:
"I eventually settled on slitting my wrists. I could do it with a shattered plastic pen. I would turn the shower on as hot as I could get it. I would wait until my cellmates were out in the yard, I would lie down—two quick vertical slits—and I would let the water carry my life slowly down the drain."
What saved her, she explains, was not hope but a conscious choice to live despite her circumstances. This epiphany—that accepting her reality rather than waiting for rescue was essential to survival—marks the first of many profound insights Knox shares throughout the memoir.
Finding Identity Beyond Infamy
Knox's prose shines brightest when she examines how public perception shaped her post-prison existence. Her description of struggling to reconnect with others while carrying the baggage of global infamy is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking:
"I'd had more transparency about my potential fate when I was on trial; my lawyers always gave it to me straight."
The reader witnesses Knox's painful attempts to reintegrate into society—her failed relationships, her paranoia about being recognized, the bizarre experience of having strangers approach her with proposals or death threats. One particularly moving section details how she was manipulated by a con man who pretended to have been wrongfully accused himself, exploiting her desperate need to be understood.
The Path to Genuine Freedom
What elevates "Free" beyond a typical post-trauma memoir is Amanda Knox's evolving understanding of freedom as a practice rather than a state of being. Through her connection with the Innocence Network, her correspondence with her former prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, and her eventual face-to-face meeting with him, Knox demonstrates how freedom ultimately comes through agency and compassion:
"To be free is to be powerful, and if your power is kindness, you are always free. No one can stop you from being kind."
This perspective allows Knox to ultimately move beyond righteous anger toward something more profound: a reconciliation not just with her circumstances but with the very people who caused her suffering.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works:
1. Philosophical depth - Knox seamlessly weaves philosophical concepts from Stoicism, Zen Buddhism, and existentialism into her personal narrative
2. Emotional honesty - She never shies away from difficult truths, including her own mistakes and ongoing struggles
3. Structural brilliance - The Dante-inspired framework gives meaningful shape to a complex emotional journey
4. Universal relevance - Knox effectively translates her extraordinary circumstances into insights applicable to everyday challenges
Where It Falls Short:
1. Occasional defensiveness - While largely transcendent, Knox sometimes slips into a defensive tone when addressing critics
2. Uneven pacing - The "Purgatorio" section feels somewhat rushed compared to the meticulously detailed "Inferno"
3. Limited perspective on others - While Knox strives for empathy, some key figures in her story (particularly Meredith Kercher's family) remain somewhat flat
4. Idealistic conclusions - Her hard-won wisdom occasionally veers into platitudes that seem too neat for the messy reality she describes
A Cultural Mirror
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of "Free" is how Amanda Knox uses her extraordinary circumstances to illuminate broader cultural issues. Her examination of "the Sisterhood of Ill Repute"—women like Monica Lewinsky and Lorena Bobbitt who've been publicly shamed and reduced to tabloid caricatures—offers a scathing critique of how media narratives flatten complex human beings into simple villains or victims.
Similarly, her discussion of the "single victim fallacy"—the idea that acknowledging her suffering somehow diminishes Meredith Kercher's victimhood—provides a nuanced perspective on how our culture often pits victims against each other rather than recognizing the complex web of harm created by violence and injustice.
Final Assessment
"Free" Amanda Knox is not just a memoir about wrongful conviction and its aftermath. It's a profound meditation on what it means to be human in a world that constantly seeks to define us, judge us, and confine us to simplistic narratives. Knox writes:
"You can't choose your life, but you can choose how you feel about it, which will affect your life moving forward as you encounter an endless string of new challenges."
This hard-won wisdom—earned through extraordinary suffering and remarkable resilience—makes "Free" essential reading not just for those interested in Amanda Knox's specific case, but for anyone who has ever felt trapped by circumstances, defined by others, or in search of meaning amid seemingly senseless suffering.
For readers familiar with Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" or Pema Chödrön's "When Things Fall Apart," Knox's memoir offers a contemporary companion that demonstrates how ancient wisdom about suffering and resilience remains relevant in our hyperconnected, judgment-filled world.
While not without flaws, "Free" ultimately delivers on its ambitious promise: to transform one woman's extraordinary trauma into universal insights about the nature of freedom, the practice of compassion, and the art of creating meaning even in life's darkest moments.
Personal Reflection
I received an advance reader copy of "Free" in exchange for an honest review, and I found myself unexpectedly moved by Amanda Knox's journey. Having followed her case peripherally over the years, I approached the book with my own preconceptions—some I wasn't even aware of until Knox's candid writing forced me to confront them.
What struck me most was the evolution evident in Knox's writing since her first memoir. Where "Waiting to Be Heard" necessarily focused on establishing facts and proclaiming innocence, "Free" operates from a place of hard-won wisdom. The voice is more contemplative, the insights more universal, and the emotional landscape infinitely more nuanced.
At its core, this is a book about transformation—not just Knox's personal evolution from trauma victim to meaning-maker, but the transformation possible for all of us when we choose to view our wounds not as defining limitations but as portals to deeper understanding. In that sense, Knox has created something truly remarkable: a memoir that transcends its genre to become a genuine guide to living with purpose even when—perhaps especially when—life deals its cruelest blows.
March 24, 2025
Her MIND! Probably my favorite celebrity (?) memoir I’ve ever read. Started crying multiple times.
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 16, 2025Made it to 19% and find myself not wanting to return to it. It’s a dnf for now but most likely forever.
March 30, 2025
As someone who is extremely passionate about the innocence project, restorative justice initiatives, and abolishment of the death penalty, this book struck an unexpected chord in me. Amanda is an engaging writer and engages in conceptualizing her experiences through the lens of a variety of philosophical lens. Many people do not spend a long time thinking about how we are only one incident away from the criminal justice system, and I think Amanda has incredibly valuable insights into how our social narrative about criminal justice, guilt, and punishment have long and spiraling impacts. The part of this book that most resonated with me was actually the chapter on the women of ill respite, she so beautifully articulated a lot of the complex feelings about how the media has eviscerated women in way that is uniquely critical and cruel. I also really enjoyed the commentary about victimhood, and her final thoughts about Meredith. Overall, I think this was a valuable contribution outside of the typical true crime genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review
March 24, 2025
Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.
I read Amanda Knox's first memoir over a decade ago when it first came out, and I was skeptical about a second memoir. After reading this one, I'm going to heavily advocate that anyone interested in hearing Amanda's story from her perspective pick this one up and not even consider picking up the first. I know I am not the only person who walked away from her first memoir thinking that she didn't do herself any favors, but this one, written with the benefit of time, healing, maturity, and perspective, does an excellent job communicating her experience and its lasting effects on her life and worldview.
I read Amanda Knox's first memoir over a decade ago when it first came out, and I was skeptical about a second memoir. After reading this one, I'm going to heavily advocate that anyone interested in hearing Amanda's story from her perspective pick this one up and not even consider picking up the first. I know I am not the only person who walked away from her first memoir thinking that she didn't do herself any favors, but this one, written with the benefit of time, healing, maturity, and perspective, does an excellent job communicating her experience and its lasting effects on her life and worldview.
February 2, 2025
Parts of this I really enjoyed and parts were harder. Amanda is a great writer and I really enjoyed her reflections on her life, trauma, and healing. I understand she felt she needed to do it for her own healing but the parts with her prosecutor were really really hard for me to read. Every cell in my body was screaming "NO! DON'T DO IT!!!" As a longtime believer in Amanda's innocence I am glad she's able to build a happy life for herself and find peace.
March 2, 2025
I've been fascinated with the Amanda Knox case for years now, so I jumped on this when I saw it available on NetGalley. I feel for all parties involved in the case. This book centers on what came after the trial and Knox's attempts to live a normal life. Memoirs are tricky to review for me; I don't want to discount anyone's experience of anything. The writing, however, did seem repetitive. And who am I to question the choices someone makes after experiencing a significant trauma, but I did find myself questioning her need for a relationship with her prosecutor years after the case.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2025
As much as I loved this, and its message, I wish it didn't exist. Knox's repeated statement that she should've never been the narrative but a footnote resonates with me so hard. I hope that the more she shares her perspectives on peace and freedom, the more she does in fact impact the way cases are covered. Literally read an article this morning about a missing college student and thought completely differently about how the case and the person of interest were covered. That's impact.
This book goes more into her experience in prison and the impact it had on her mind and sense of self, the way she learned to survive, and especially how she learned to survive without losing her values. Then it's her choices after her release, where the prison is her mind and media, and the ways she both failed and succeeded in building a life for herself After.
While we share perspectives on kindness, her capacity for forgiveness is unmatched. Her capacity to demonstrate empathy for the people obsessed with her for good or ill, and the way she can think and logic her way out of it, are a reassuring perspective in strange and uncertain times.
I hope she keeps writing - not about her case, I think that can be laid to rest - but about survival, well-being, kindness, and incarceration.
This book goes more into her experience in prison and the impact it had on her mind and sense of self, the way she learned to survive, and especially how she learned to survive without losing her values. Then it's her choices after her release, where the prison is her mind and media, and the ways she both failed and succeeded in building a life for herself After.
While we share perspectives on kindness, her capacity for forgiveness is unmatched. Her capacity to demonstrate empathy for the people obsessed with her for good or ill, and the way she can think and logic her way out of it, are a reassuring perspective in strange and uncertain times.
I hope she keeps writing - not about her case, I think that can be laid to rest - but about survival, well-being, kindness, and incarceration.
January 28, 2025
Amanda Knox’s reflection on her past and her journey to rebuild her future is a powerful and thought-provoking read. With raw honesty, she reflects on the tragedy that changed her life forever and explores its impact on her friends, family, and her reintegration into society. Her story serves as a reminder of how the internet can distort the truth and underscores the importance of finding resilience to move forward.
March 30, 2025
Amanda Knox was imprisoned in Capanne Prison, in Perugia, Italy, for four years for a murder she didn't commit. The trial and appeals stretched on for eight years until she was finally exonerated in 2015. However, upon returning home to Seattle, she discovered she was still a captive, this time of her own reputation, the paparazzi, and the media firestorm that was all too eager to demonize a woman. She exhibited so much resilience and open-heartedness despite everything she's been through, drawing on the wisdom of stoic philosophers and radical acceptance theory. I was particularly struck by her relationship with the prison chaplain, with whom she formed a musical bond despite her professed atheism. The story hinges around a private meeting Amanda had with her prosecutor upon her return to Italy, and her attempt to forgive him even though he never fully apologized for the abuses of power that took place during the investigation. This memoir is a remarkable portrait of an intelligent, irrepressible woman and speaks to the power of compassion even in the hardest of circumstances. I received a free ALC from Libro.fm, which was read with great conviction by the author.
March 20, 2025
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.
I'm definitely a true crime junkie and was definitely pressed to the TV for the Amanda Knox trials when they happened. I have not read her previous memoir but I think I will now. The writing in this book was really well done. She is a very thoughtful person and I felt like she was very raw and honest about so many topics. She touches upon the case but not in detail (which is why I want to read the previous book) but focuses more on the way she navigated psychologically through the interrogation, trial, prison, her release and getting back to regular life. What I appreciated is that she did acknowledge that while she was struggling, Meredith didn't get the opportunities she hasÌýhad. 4 years of strife has had a ton of impact and shaped her life but she still has one. I really appreciated her talking about social justice reform and was so intrigued by her relationship with the man who prosecuted her. There is a bit about motherhood and some about religion and personal growth but it really felt to me most about resilience and her telling her truth and showing her character with a little more maturity.
I'm definitely a true crime junkie and was definitely pressed to the TV for the Amanda Knox trials when they happened. I have not read her previous memoir but I think I will now. The writing in this book was really well done. She is a very thoughtful person and I felt like she was very raw and honest about so many topics. She touches upon the case but not in detail (which is why I want to read the previous book) but focuses more on the way she navigated psychologically through the interrogation, trial, prison, her release and getting back to regular life. What I appreciated is that she did acknowledge that while she was struggling, Meredith didn't get the opportunities she hasÌýhad. 4 years of strife has had a ton of impact and shaped her life but she still has one. I really appreciated her talking about social justice reform and was so intrigued by her relationship with the man who prosecuted her. There is a bit about motherhood and some about religion and personal growth but it really felt to me most about resilience and her telling her truth and showing her character with a little more maturity.
March 7, 2025
This book is allll about perspective. I think Amanda Knox has given herself the gift of time and separation from the tragic events that unfolded and tossed her into the spotlight. Each chapter told both a story, from her time in prison to years later, meeting the prosecutor who worked to convict her. But with each story, she also offers us insight into the life lessons that have led to her finally feeling�.Free.
In general, I really liked the stories and the way Knox takes us as she processes what it means to be Free. I think being able to be outside of her experience for years now allowed her to truly put words to not just the experience, but her inner turmoil. I liked that we saw some reconciliation and the freedom she gained from that.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free advanced copy.
In general, I really liked the stories and the way Knox takes us as she processes what it means to be Free. I think being able to be outside of her experience for years now allowed her to truly put words to not just the experience, but her inner turmoil. I liked that we saw some reconciliation and the freedom she gained from that.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free advanced copy.
March 8, 2025
It's nearly impossible to imagine what it might be like to walk in Amanda Knox's shoes, but her new book "Free: My Search for Meaning" is certainly a good place to start.
Knox goes into some detail about the crime that unfortunately made her famous—the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher while they both studied in Italy as college students—but that's not what the book is primarily about. Knox spends most of the time reckoning with the realities of prison, unwanted (and unwarranted) fame, and the continuing attempt to reclaim her truth and her life. It's brutally honest, moving, hard to relate to, but ultimately enlightening and inspiring. I'm totally baffled by people convinced of Amanda's guilt; Rudy Guede 100% murdered Meredith, and there's evidence to prove it! So why are there people who don't even KNOW his name, but DO know of and blame Amanda Knox?! If that question interest you—or you're one of those people!—you should pick this one up and be prepared to do some introspection.
The most inspiring part of this book to me, surprisingly, centered around her experience in prison. In this early section of the book, Amanda ruminates on the idea of freedom, and what it can mean to live a meaningful life regardless of your physical circumstances. She emphasizes that freedom can sometimes be more of an idea than a condition, and acceptance and purpose can exist even in the most traditionally un-free-seeming situations. And in fact, she confesses that she at times felt more of a prisoner once she was released because of all the media attention on her. She comes to the conclusion that she can't really win in the court of public opinion, and there comes a point where she shouldn't really try. All she can do is continue speaking the truth, and speaking out against the injustice that she faced to try to bring attention and hope to those in the same situation.
Amanda also spends a lot of time detailing the evolving relationship between her and her one-time prosecutor, and her drive to understand him and reconcile their adversarial positions. She accepts that though she may not ever get him to admit he was wrong or declare her innocence, she can meet him where he is and lead with empathy for his position. Empathy seems to be a main driver of mosts of her actions and interactions, and this informs her worldview and what she tries to communicate to us throughout this book.
So even though Amanda Knox's life has been extraordinary, her book "Free" tells a supremely human story full of heartbreak and healing. I really felt that I got to know her through this book, and I highly recommended giving it a read if you're at all interested in themes of wrongful conviction, trial by media, human connection, overcoming trauma and redemption. And a lot of other things too. 4.5/5 stars and a lot to unpack.
[Thanks for NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book!]
Knox goes into some detail about the crime that unfortunately made her famous—the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher while they both studied in Italy as college students—but that's not what the book is primarily about. Knox spends most of the time reckoning with the realities of prison, unwanted (and unwarranted) fame, and the continuing attempt to reclaim her truth and her life. It's brutally honest, moving, hard to relate to, but ultimately enlightening and inspiring. I'm totally baffled by people convinced of Amanda's guilt; Rudy Guede 100% murdered Meredith, and there's evidence to prove it! So why are there people who don't even KNOW his name, but DO know of and blame Amanda Knox?! If that question interest you—or you're one of those people!—you should pick this one up and be prepared to do some introspection.
The most inspiring part of this book to me, surprisingly, centered around her experience in prison. In this early section of the book, Amanda ruminates on the idea of freedom, and what it can mean to live a meaningful life regardless of your physical circumstances. She emphasizes that freedom can sometimes be more of an idea than a condition, and acceptance and purpose can exist even in the most traditionally un-free-seeming situations. And in fact, she confesses that she at times felt more of a prisoner once she was released because of all the media attention on her. She comes to the conclusion that she can't really win in the court of public opinion, and there comes a point where she shouldn't really try. All she can do is continue speaking the truth, and speaking out against the injustice that she faced to try to bring attention and hope to those in the same situation.
Amanda also spends a lot of time detailing the evolving relationship between her and her one-time prosecutor, and her drive to understand him and reconcile their adversarial positions. She accepts that though she may not ever get him to admit he was wrong or declare her innocence, she can meet him where he is and lead with empathy for his position. Empathy seems to be a main driver of mosts of her actions and interactions, and this informs her worldview and what she tries to communicate to us throughout this book.
So even though Amanda Knox's life has been extraordinary, her book "Free" tells a supremely human story full of heartbreak and healing. I really felt that I got to know her through this book, and I highly recommended giving it a read if you're at all interested in themes of wrongful conviction, trial by media, human connection, overcoming trauma and redemption. And a lot of other things too. 4.5/5 stars and a lot to unpack.
[Thanks for NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book!]
March 24, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!
I was surprised when telling others I was reading this book, that not many people were familiar with Amanda Knox & her story. Amanda’s story is harrowing and powerful, and I invite you all to read her rendition of the injustices brought against her. I particularly enjoyed the way she describes the idea of being “free� as not starting when she was released from prison, but as a journey to finding her own freedom. I feel for this woman who had everything ripped out from under her at such a young, impressionable age. & I hope one day she finds the peace & freedom she so desperately deserves. Not to mention, she is a stunning, skilled writer.
I was surprised when telling others I was reading this book, that not many people were familiar with Amanda Knox & her story. Amanda’s story is harrowing and powerful, and I invite you all to read her rendition of the injustices brought against her. I particularly enjoyed the way she describes the idea of being “free� as not starting when she was released from prison, but as a journey to finding her own freedom. I feel for this woman who had everything ripped out from under her at such a young, impressionable age. & I hope one day she finds the peace & freedom she so desperately deserves. Not to mention, she is a stunning, skilled writer.
Read
March 12, 2025Hm yes okay something positive to say... I think she deserves to have her story told on her own terms (even if this is her second crack at it). The fact that her innocence is still questioned is pretty wild. I don't think I'd be nearly as nice or patient to the old man prosecutor who made it his personal vendetta to ruin my life.
Unfortunately the writing was very distracting and resembled a rambling, self indulgent journal entry.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately the writing was very distracting and resembled a rambling, self indulgent journal entry.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2025
I found this book a little hard to get through - there was a lot of repetition between chapters; Knox was saying the same thing over and over, but with different words. The pace felt really slow, but I don't feel like I can really fault that part too much, being that it's her story and not something that she made up.
I did find it interesting to read in depth from her perspective about her time in prison (I didn't read her first memoir) and her time trying to reintegrate into society in the US.
I'm giving it 3 stars because it was interesting, but it was too wordy, and I felt like she only glossed over the other victims of this tragic event.
**Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.**
I did find it interesting to read in depth from her perspective about her time in prison (I didn't read her first memoir) and her time trying to reintegrate into society in the US.
I'm giving it 3 stars because it was interesting, but it was too wordy, and I felt like she only glossed over the other victims of this tragic event.
**Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.**
March 29, 2025
I believe Amanda to be innocent. It is scary to think how easily you can be detained for a crime you did not commit in another country. She writes well�. But I honestly got a bit bored with it and put it down quite a few times before I finished it. The parts about her relationship with her prosecutor just made me feel creeped out.
March 31, 2025
It was the crime talked about around the world in the 2000s, the one where everyone thought they knew what was going on and had an opinion. But as Knox shares here in this open-faced memoir, her trial by the world's media was in many ways just as harrowing and harmful as her ordeal in the Italian court system serving four years for a crime she did not commit. Readers are brought into her jail cell and the darkest corners of her mind as Knox tried to make sense of what was happening to her both while she was in prison and once she got out in her efforts to rebuild her life. I found the honesty to be incredibly moving, and the narrative well-written.
March 29, 2025
3/5 stars.
While Amanda Knox did reflect on her time in an Italian jail for a crime she didn’t commit—I mostly felt as though this was a rehash of the case and of Knox’s life. I felt like this was not the depth that I wanted (or expected) it to be.
While Amanda Knox did reflect on her time in an Italian jail for a crime she didn’t commit—I mostly felt as though this was a rehash of the case and of Knox’s life. I felt like this was not the depth that I wanted (or expected) it to be.
March 30, 2025
This book is about journeys. We all have them. Some are harder than others but I could relate to a lot of the themes in this book.
April 1, 2025
This book rocks.
April 2, 2025
I loved her first book SOO much and I was wanting more of that, but this was just not what I thought. Still interesting
March 30, 2025
Note: The below review naturally assumes familiarity with the whole media frenzy that surrounded Amanda Knox after she was falsely convicted of murder. The frenzy lasted almost a decade. It is virtually impossible to not have heard or had some sort of opinion on Amanda Knox. In this review, I compare her new book with her early memoir written shortly after she was repatriated. Please check my earlier Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ review of Waiting to Be Heard here, /review/show..., and in the footnotes for additional perspective.
As I write in my review, I will not judge Amanda Knox. Free gets an automatic five stars.
*
Amanda Knox Redux: A Misunderstood Maligned Heroine with a Mature Voice
Twelve years have passed between Amanda’s Knox’s completely expected explanatory and exculpatory memoir Waiting to Be Heard (2013) and her most recent offering, Free: My Search for Meaning, which is specifically not marketed as a memoir.1 Ms. Knox most likely lacked the wherewithal back in 2013 to retain more artistic control over Waiting to Be Heard. Predictably, the author photograph adorns, nay, dominates, the dust jacket of her memoir; although the title is a plea to be listened to and understood, her publisher, Harper Collins, opted for the obvious marketable cover jacket optics, the ones that initially got Amanda Knox in trouble: she is a good looking all-American type girl whose pulchritude was her downfall.2 Of course, Harper Collins had an advance to recoup and Ms. Knox and her alleged sex appeal were a household name.
I have always been a huge Amanda Knox supporter. Fair disclaimer: I lived near her families West Seattle neighborhood for almost a decade,3 including while she was falsely accused and sentenced to a lifetime in a foreign prison. Appeals for her released echoed through my West Seattle haunts where there was very little doubt as to her innocence. As a former ex-patriot and then, active deep-sea sailor, I was well aware of problems that US citizens can run into abroad and how Americans—particularly young women—are viewed in Europe.4 After Ms. Knox was finally—alas temporarily—acquitted, I felt joy that was only tempered by my horror at the US paparazzi5 who descended upon the Knox household and neighborhood. I changed my daily cycling training route due to hovering helicopters and huge media trailers which dominated the landscape and transmogrified my sleepy West Seattle neighborhood into a circus side show for almost a month. This made me empathize with Amanda Knox all the more. In the years that followed, there were Knox sitings in my local used bookstore and restaurants. It was rumored that she was writing for the West Seattle Herald, a yawn-inducing local weekly. I remained steadfast in my horror at what happened to her, only occasionally mustering up an inappropriate joke at my dinner parties about how many Americans would long for the opportunity of a free complete immersion language course to master everyday Italian [snicker, snicker].6
When Waiting to Be Heard finally appeared to much fanfare, I did not line up to buy a copy, but—fortuitously stumbled upon a discarded but nicely preserved used one7 on the free bookshelf at my local post office in rural NH years later, during the pandemic. Her notoriety was that ubiquitous. I lapped up her memoir in a sitting and gave it a very positive review, comparing her plight to that presented in two timeless works of literature: Henry Jamesâ€� Daisy Miller and Albert Camusâ€� ³¢â€ÍÖ³Ù°ù²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ù. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Amanda Knox presented as a disarmingly strong writer of potential whose absurd and awful situation overshadowed her prose and insights.
Above all else, I wanted Ms. Knox to find some peace and serenity after all that had occurred, but I feared that her Paradise Regained in bucolic West Seattle would have inevitable snares, that her life could hardly ever be ordinary despite the mundane backdrop of Easy Street records at the Junction and with the University of Washington eager for her to complete her undergraduate degree. Thus, I was initially skeptical and didn’t want to see her exploited again. The memoir appeared too soon, at least in my opinion. I understood that her family had crushing legal bills, and that Ms. Knox certainly needed to finally tell her story, without the media framing it. I never judged Waiting to Be Heard. Instead, I loved it immediately, flaws and all.
Free, the non-memoir that still is a memoir, albeit a contemplative one, is a more mature offering that offers additional insight and perspective on her fate and continued ordeal. The voice is that of a thirty-something, not a twenty-something stepping out of a vortex of hopeless solitude trying to regain a lost half decade. Time and Distance are central characters, though Ms. Knox is never far from the judgmental hordes. She is savvier this time around. She has chosen a publisher, Grand Central, that is less keen on marketing her for a quick buck and instead allows her to just reveal her personality, her interest in language, and her unique story. Her story truly begins when the sensationalism ends, when day to day life becomes a struggle. Her last name is the same size font as the title Free, not dwarfing it as in the early memoir. Her author photo appears discreetly on the back jacket, not the cover. She is older, in her thirties, and a mom. She is dressed stylishly and quirkily in front of her well-stocked polyglot bookcases—presumably at her home on Vashon Island—an enclave separated from West Seattle or Downton Seattle by a short ferry ride—where she can live in peace without gawkers showing up on her front lawn. One thing that hasn’t changed: she still doesn’t offer much of a smile. The smile is forced, which is not surprising because she was robbed of her carefree youthful existence.8 And this is what makes Free so compelling. It is the story after the story, which—as anyone with the perspective of increased years knows—is the relevant one.
When reading a book, I usually cull quotes to incorporate into a review. However, Amanda Knox has largely spent her life having it framed by others. Her words and actions have been used against her ad nauseam to make her appear a craved hussy capable of a ritual murder. Even some bitter scolds who think she is innocent, deplore and judge her implication of the Congolese bar owner,9 as if they could withstand 50 hours of intense questioning, and the physical and psychological abuse that amounted to torture.10 I will not quote freely from Amanda Knox’s new book. Nor will I repeat any tale she relates in it since that might lead to me analyzing or judging; I will not appropriate her story. Her story is her’s alone to tell, not mine or anyone else’s. Amanda Knox has been judged constantly and meanly for almost two decades. And those who judge her are only revealing their own biases and their own misevaluation on how they would have behaved differently, e.g. not caving after a fifty-hour inquisition (Sure they wouldn’t!). Suffice to say, that Ms. Knox grapples to understand other women who have been tried by media. That, she understands the healing process and forgiveness. She even alludes to biases I revealed in my initial review of Waiting to Be Heard when I compared her prosecutor and adversary, Dr. Giuliano Mignini to a Brüder Grimm villain. Free culminates with Amanda Knox reaching out to Mignini during a return to Italy and Perugia where she met with him amicably face to face. Very few humans, and certainly not those prone to judgment, could even contemplate such a magnanimous empathetic action. I literally recoiled and felt jittery as she relates her mental state leading up to the meeting, her need for reconciliation, understanding, and, as the secondary title of Free proclaims, her “search for meaning.�
Ms. Knox is a survivor, an exoneree, a journalist, and a mom. She is an activist for the falsely accused and a co-host of a successful podcast with her author and partner;11 she works with people who were on death row and who served twenty-year sentences, mostly minorities without the all-American pulchritude whose alleged crimes never led to a media frenzy or a salacious nickname. Amanda Knox has regained her voice after an awful experience. Her voice is utterly compelling and her own.
**
My initial review of Waiting to Be Heard:/review/show...
1
Although Free has a memoir like feel, it is more of a rumination on life. Not a self-help book, but a book—as the title implies—in search of meaning.
2
I feel odd commenting on Amanda Knox’s appearance. She is of a completely younger generation. To me, she just looks like a kid. I comment only in so far as stating the obvious: Her looks were her curse.
3
30 years in all, so the places she relates and even some of the people she thanks in her acknowledgement section are readily identifiable.
4
American women are falsely stereotyped as loose and promiscuous, especially in Catholic countries.
5
Amanda Knox was such an international sensation that actual European paparazzi descended upon West Seattle.
6
One of the more fascinating aspects of Free is Ms. Knox’s love for the Italian language and languages in general. All jokes aside, Ms. Knox is an atypical American in that she shows interest and aptitude for foreign languages.
7
As a bonus, it was a well preserved first edition, not that it is hard to find. The print run must have been enormous. I made a deliberate effort to buy Free from my local bookstore, so that Amanda Knox gets her cut.
8
I feel terrible commenting on Amanda Knox’s smile. It is not really my place to do so. And I may misread the photos because I never met her. However, I feel that the strained smile is telling and tragic, ergo I am making an exception. Mea culpa.
9
See my initial review.
10
Perusal of the reviews on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for Waiting to Be Heard will not strengthen anyone’s faith in humanity. The torture Knox endured has never been emphasized enough.
11
My partner, Alison, listens to Knox’s podcasts regularly.
As I write in my review, I will not judge Amanda Knox. Free gets an automatic five stars.
*
Amanda Knox Redux: A Misunderstood Maligned Heroine with a Mature Voice
Twelve years have passed between Amanda’s Knox’s completely expected explanatory and exculpatory memoir Waiting to Be Heard (2013) and her most recent offering, Free: My Search for Meaning, which is specifically not marketed as a memoir.1 Ms. Knox most likely lacked the wherewithal back in 2013 to retain more artistic control over Waiting to Be Heard. Predictably, the author photograph adorns, nay, dominates, the dust jacket of her memoir; although the title is a plea to be listened to and understood, her publisher, Harper Collins, opted for the obvious marketable cover jacket optics, the ones that initially got Amanda Knox in trouble: she is a good looking all-American type girl whose pulchritude was her downfall.2 Of course, Harper Collins had an advance to recoup and Ms. Knox and her alleged sex appeal were a household name.
I have always been a huge Amanda Knox supporter. Fair disclaimer: I lived near her families West Seattle neighborhood for almost a decade,3 including while she was falsely accused and sentenced to a lifetime in a foreign prison. Appeals for her released echoed through my West Seattle haunts where there was very little doubt as to her innocence. As a former ex-patriot and then, active deep-sea sailor, I was well aware of problems that US citizens can run into abroad and how Americans—particularly young women—are viewed in Europe.4 After Ms. Knox was finally—alas temporarily—acquitted, I felt joy that was only tempered by my horror at the US paparazzi5 who descended upon the Knox household and neighborhood. I changed my daily cycling training route due to hovering helicopters and huge media trailers which dominated the landscape and transmogrified my sleepy West Seattle neighborhood into a circus side show for almost a month. This made me empathize with Amanda Knox all the more. In the years that followed, there were Knox sitings in my local used bookstore and restaurants. It was rumored that she was writing for the West Seattle Herald, a yawn-inducing local weekly. I remained steadfast in my horror at what happened to her, only occasionally mustering up an inappropriate joke at my dinner parties about how many Americans would long for the opportunity of a free complete immersion language course to master everyday Italian [snicker, snicker].6
When Waiting to Be Heard finally appeared to much fanfare, I did not line up to buy a copy, but—fortuitously stumbled upon a discarded but nicely preserved used one7 on the free bookshelf at my local post office in rural NH years later, during the pandemic. Her notoriety was that ubiquitous. I lapped up her memoir in a sitting and gave it a very positive review, comparing her plight to that presented in two timeless works of literature: Henry Jamesâ€� Daisy Miller and Albert Camusâ€� ³¢â€ÍÖ³Ù°ù²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ù. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Amanda Knox presented as a disarmingly strong writer of potential whose absurd and awful situation overshadowed her prose and insights.
Above all else, I wanted Ms. Knox to find some peace and serenity after all that had occurred, but I feared that her Paradise Regained in bucolic West Seattle would have inevitable snares, that her life could hardly ever be ordinary despite the mundane backdrop of Easy Street records at the Junction and with the University of Washington eager for her to complete her undergraduate degree. Thus, I was initially skeptical and didn’t want to see her exploited again. The memoir appeared too soon, at least in my opinion. I understood that her family had crushing legal bills, and that Ms. Knox certainly needed to finally tell her story, without the media framing it. I never judged Waiting to Be Heard. Instead, I loved it immediately, flaws and all.
Free, the non-memoir that still is a memoir, albeit a contemplative one, is a more mature offering that offers additional insight and perspective on her fate and continued ordeal. The voice is that of a thirty-something, not a twenty-something stepping out of a vortex of hopeless solitude trying to regain a lost half decade. Time and Distance are central characters, though Ms. Knox is never far from the judgmental hordes. She is savvier this time around. She has chosen a publisher, Grand Central, that is less keen on marketing her for a quick buck and instead allows her to just reveal her personality, her interest in language, and her unique story. Her story truly begins when the sensationalism ends, when day to day life becomes a struggle. Her last name is the same size font as the title Free, not dwarfing it as in the early memoir. Her author photo appears discreetly on the back jacket, not the cover. She is older, in her thirties, and a mom. She is dressed stylishly and quirkily in front of her well-stocked polyglot bookcases—presumably at her home on Vashon Island—an enclave separated from West Seattle or Downton Seattle by a short ferry ride—where she can live in peace without gawkers showing up on her front lawn. One thing that hasn’t changed: she still doesn’t offer much of a smile. The smile is forced, which is not surprising because she was robbed of her carefree youthful existence.8 And this is what makes Free so compelling. It is the story after the story, which—as anyone with the perspective of increased years knows—is the relevant one.
When reading a book, I usually cull quotes to incorporate into a review. However, Amanda Knox has largely spent her life having it framed by others. Her words and actions have been used against her ad nauseam to make her appear a craved hussy capable of a ritual murder. Even some bitter scolds who think she is innocent, deplore and judge her implication of the Congolese bar owner,9 as if they could withstand 50 hours of intense questioning, and the physical and psychological abuse that amounted to torture.10 I will not quote freely from Amanda Knox’s new book. Nor will I repeat any tale she relates in it since that might lead to me analyzing or judging; I will not appropriate her story. Her story is her’s alone to tell, not mine or anyone else’s. Amanda Knox has been judged constantly and meanly for almost two decades. And those who judge her are only revealing their own biases and their own misevaluation on how they would have behaved differently, e.g. not caving after a fifty-hour inquisition (Sure they wouldn’t!). Suffice to say, that Ms. Knox grapples to understand other women who have been tried by media. That, she understands the healing process and forgiveness. She even alludes to biases I revealed in my initial review of Waiting to Be Heard when I compared her prosecutor and adversary, Dr. Giuliano Mignini to a Brüder Grimm villain. Free culminates with Amanda Knox reaching out to Mignini during a return to Italy and Perugia where she met with him amicably face to face. Very few humans, and certainly not those prone to judgment, could even contemplate such a magnanimous empathetic action. I literally recoiled and felt jittery as she relates her mental state leading up to the meeting, her need for reconciliation, understanding, and, as the secondary title of Free proclaims, her “search for meaning.�
Ms. Knox is a survivor, an exoneree, a journalist, and a mom. She is an activist for the falsely accused and a co-host of a successful podcast with her author and partner;11 she works with people who were on death row and who served twenty-year sentences, mostly minorities without the all-American pulchritude whose alleged crimes never led to a media frenzy or a salacious nickname. Amanda Knox has regained her voice after an awful experience. Her voice is utterly compelling and her own.
**
My initial review of Waiting to Be Heard:/review/show...
1
Although Free has a memoir like feel, it is more of a rumination on life. Not a self-help book, but a book—as the title implies—in search of meaning.
2
I feel odd commenting on Amanda Knox’s appearance. She is of a completely younger generation. To me, she just looks like a kid. I comment only in so far as stating the obvious: Her looks were her curse.
3
30 years in all, so the places she relates and even some of the people she thanks in her acknowledgement section are readily identifiable.
4
American women are falsely stereotyped as loose and promiscuous, especially in Catholic countries.
5
Amanda Knox was such an international sensation that actual European paparazzi descended upon West Seattle.
6
One of the more fascinating aspects of Free is Ms. Knox’s love for the Italian language and languages in general. All jokes aside, Ms. Knox is an atypical American in that she shows interest and aptitude for foreign languages.
7
As a bonus, it was a well preserved first edition, not that it is hard to find. The print run must have been enormous. I made a deliberate effort to buy Free from my local bookstore, so that Amanda Knox gets her cut.
8
I feel terrible commenting on Amanda Knox’s smile. It is not really my place to do so. And I may misread the photos because I never met her. However, I feel that the strained smile is telling and tragic, ergo I am making an exception. Mea culpa.
9
See my initial review.
10
Perusal of the reviews on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for Waiting to Be Heard will not strengthen anyone’s faith in humanity. The torture Knox endured has never been emphasized enough.
11
My partner, Alison, listens to Knox’s podcasts regularly.
January 28, 2025
This was an extremely well written and profound collection centering around grief, resilience, and strength in the face of victimhood and impossibly hard situations. I think any of us can take what Amanda has been through and churned into wisdom and apply it to how we approach our own suffering and life changing experiences. This is a story of making the most of what life hands you, and I found it captivating.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 12, 2025
Okay, so I'm a True Crime addict. I binge each new Netflix true crime docuseries, take notes during each episode of Dateline, the whole shebang. When I saw I could get an ARC of Amanda Knox's "Free," I jumped. The Meredith Kercher case was an international media circus when it happened. I was living abroad at the time and I couldn't escape the headlines, even if I had tried.
I didn’t follow the details closely at the time, but the whole "she was convicted because she didn't look and/or act how an innocent person is supposed to" thing always stuck with me.
A big chunk of "Free" focuses on Knox's correspondence with the prosecutor, Dr. Guiliano Mignini. She basically paints him as Inspector Javert from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, relentlessly hounding her. She's desperate for him to admit he was wrong, to say she's innocent. Honestly, their back-and-forth just felt... unresolved. Like she's still trying to make him see her side.
And here's the thing: I really wanted to like this book. I went in rooting for Amanda. But, man, it was a slog. I found it surprisingly dull, and I just couldn't connect with Knox's voice. I forced myself to finish it, hoping for some kind of satisfying resolution, but it just wasn't there for me.
Honestly, I think I need to reread Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" now. That's a book about finding purpose in suffering, and it's actually, you know, well-written.
Which brings me to my biggest issue: the writing in "Free" is just... not good. I don't know if Knox wrote it all herself, if there was a ghostwriter involved, or if it's a collaboration with ChatGPT, but it feels clunky and unengaging.
Look, no one can truly know what Amanda Knox went through. Years stolen, reputation destroyed, still guilty in the court of public opinion despite being acquitted. It's a horrific situation.
I genuinely hope she finds peace and can live a happy life away from the spotlight. But as a book? "Free" just didn't do it for me.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal and independent opinion.
I didn’t follow the details closely at the time, but the whole "she was convicted because she didn't look and/or act how an innocent person is supposed to" thing always stuck with me.
A big chunk of "Free" focuses on Knox's correspondence with the prosecutor, Dr. Guiliano Mignini. She basically paints him as Inspector Javert from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, relentlessly hounding her. She's desperate for him to admit he was wrong, to say she's innocent. Honestly, their back-and-forth just felt... unresolved. Like she's still trying to make him see her side.
And here's the thing: I really wanted to like this book. I went in rooting for Amanda. But, man, it was a slog. I found it surprisingly dull, and I just couldn't connect with Knox's voice. I forced myself to finish it, hoping for some kind of satisfying resolution, but it just wasn't there for me.
Honestly, I think I need to reread Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" now. That's a book about finding purpose in suffering, and it's actually, you know, well-written.
Which brings me to my biggest issue: the writing in "Free" is just... not good. I don't know if Knox wrote it all herself, if there was a ghostwriter involved, or if it's a collaboration with ChatGPT, but it feels clunky and unengaging.
Look, no one can truly know what Amanda Knox went through. Years stolen, reputation destroyed, still guilty in the court of public opinion despite being acquitted. It's a horrific situation.
I genuinely hope she finds peace and can live a happy life away from the spotlight. But as a book? "Free" just didn't do it for me.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal and independent opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2025
Amanda Knox may be extremely eccentric and odd, but she is also well read and very well educated. This memoir is thoughtful, thought provoking, heartbreaking, and courageous.
March 18, 2025
DNF .. reminded me too much of Brittney Griner's book about being detained in a Russian prison and that book made me really sad so I'm trying to save myself from that once more.
I did however listen to a podcast hosted by Amanda Knox focusing on wrongful convictions recently. I think I am more interested in hearing about the work she is doing now rather than her day-to-day while in prison (which I'm sure isn't the entire book but I just couldn't get through it).
I did however listen to a podcast hosted by Amanda Knox focusing on wrongful convictions recently. I think I am more interested in hearing about the work she is doing now rather than her day-to-day while in prison (which I'm sure isn't the entire book but I just couldn't get through it).
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