A Little Piece of Light

By: Donna Hylton, Kristine Gasbarre

Narrated by: Donna Hylton

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

Today, Donna Hylton is a groundbreaking advocate for criminal justice reform - she was a featured speaker at the 2017 Women's March on Washington, and she works hand-in-hand with other influential voices such as Eve Ensler, Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow), and Rosario Dawson to ensure prison safety and to end mass incarceration in the US. In fact, Dawson has signed on to play Hylton in a movie that's in development now. 

But in 1986, Hylton experienced prison from the inside when she was sentenced to 25 years-to-life for kidnapping and second-degree murder. Like so many women before her and so many women yet to come, her life had been a nightmare of abuse that left her feeling alone and convinced of her worthlessness. With her sentencing, it seemed that Donna had reached the end - at age 19, due to her own mistakes and bad choices, her life was over. 

But behind the bars of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, alongside this generation's most infamous female criminals, Donna learned to fight - and then, to thrive. For the first time in her life, she realized that she was not alone in the abuse and misogyny that she experienced; as she bonded with her new sisters, she discovered that her pain was not an anomaly, but a commonality among women from all walks of life.

It's a reality that she has since vowed to change. Since her release in 2012, Donna has emerged as a leading advocate for criminal justice reform and women's rights who speaks with politicians, violent abusers, prison officials, victims, and students to tell her story. But it's not her story alone, she is quick to say. She also represents the stories of thousands of women who are unable to speak for themselves because they've been silenced, imprisoned, or killed. 

©2018 Donna Hylton and Kristine Gasbarre (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Gripping.... [ A Little Piece of Light] is a meditation on redemption and learning to love and forgive." (Booklist)

"Donna Hylton is a light warrior, an inspiration, a survivor, a profound storyteller, and an important teacher for our times." (Elizabeth Gilbert, The New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic)

"Intimate and disturbing, the book reveals the ways women are silenced and victimized in society, and it also tells the inspiring story of how one woman survived a prison nightmare to go on to help other incarcerated women 'speak out about the violence in their lives.' A wrenching memoir of overcoming seemingly insurmountable abuse and finding fulfillment." (Kirkus Reviews)

Not a great listen or story

This audiobook was really hard to listen to. It seemed like the author was begging for sympathy the whole time. Just tell your story, but stop trying so hard to get people to feel sorry for you, it comes off as disingenuous. Because of the tone of the book, it was really hard to believe some of the stories told. It's really hard to believe that every person the author encountered in her childhood and adult life victimized and abused her.

A little piece of truth

The story is powerful and inspiring. I am moved to act on my own social concerns. The best self narrated autobiography I've listened to to date.

Must Read!!!! I Loved It!!!!!!

I loved this book. Her story is amazing and it encouraging. I felt so many emotions while reading this book.

Fantastic story of determination

I heard about Donna on a podcast and was so intrigued by the amount of failure in protecting her from the beginning of her life. To many times es children and women like her are abused and ignored and blamed for their shirt comings, which leads them further down a path of wrong choices do to the inability to understand hiw to trust those that are meant to protect you. I'm so happy her path has changed for the better despite everything that she has done and gone through. Donna being able to vocalize her story should could help others with a similar struggle. very good read.

Profoundly Impactful & Engaging

This was an absolutely excellent book, well written and well performed as an audiobook, as well. The story is engaging and interesting. She is able to bring light to an extremely dark topic that makes it feel relatable and allows us to listen with compassion and without judgment. Truly excellent work.

Utterly Gripping

A Little Piece of Light is an insightful, moving, heartbreaking, and heartwarming book. The visceral descriptions of pain and suffering invoke personal nausea while the compelling sense of hope produce tears.
I will recommend this book to many and I will read it again.
Thank you Donna for your courage, strength, and continued compassion.

what a powerful book

I purchased this book on Audible. The brother of the Author had told me about the book. I purchased it the same day, immediately was drawn into the story. I havent yet finished it, but to the current point, I cant wait to finish it. With the Author narration on this book, makes it all the more powerful to listen to.

Powerful

I felt this book in my spirit. The sadness and redemption of this book is powerful. This is a story that is all too familiar but rarely told. This book should be a call to action. Save our girls isn't just a saying it needs to be a mission for us all.

Compelling

Donna's story was sad and yet powerful; once you start this audiobook, you must finish the book.

The Best Audiobook I've Listened To

I saw Donna Hylton speak about her experiences for the first time, on the syndicated radio morning show "The Breakfast Club". I was immediately impressed. Her candor was refreshing. She gracefully spoke of forgiveness which made me want to know more about this person who after having been through so much pain, seemed to be healing and helping other women. I immediately added "A Little Piece Of Light" to my library, began listening at work and couldn't stop. I finished listening on my commute home in my car. This is the first audiobook that I finished in one day. I hope that this book gets into the right hands so that it can be made into a screenplay. I've learned a lot and I hope to see and hear more from this author in the future.