Escape from Venezuela’s Deadliest Prison

By: Natalie Welsh

Narrated by: Harriet Hardy

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's Summary

After getting arrested at a Venezuelan airport with a suitcase of cocaine, Natalie was clueless about the danger she was facing.

Sentenced to 10 years, she arrived at a prison with armed men on the roof, whom she mistakenly believed were the guards, only to find out they were homicidal gang members. 

Immediately, she was plunged into a world of unimaginable horror and escalating violence, where murder, rape, and gang warfare were carried out with the complicity of corrupt guards. Male prisoners often entered the females’ housing area, bringing gunfire with them and leaving corpses behind. 

After 4.5 years, Natalie risked everything to escape and flee through Colombia, with the help of a guard who had fallen deeply in love with her. 

©2020 Gadfly Press (P)2020 Gadfly Press

Would recommend

I enjoyed the book a lot! It is very well narrated! The narration has a good pace and feels super vivid and natural! You almost feel in the middle of the events described. I personally wish, however, and I may be biased by the fact that two of the three prisons where Natalie was in were mine and my family’s stomping grounds growing up, that she would have given a bit more detail on the names of the avenues, businesses, and places where she spent her time on benefit, the name of the town’s central plaza, or any other way of landmark with which those of us who lived there can relate even more! I simply wanted to few closer to her even more! This is why I gave it four stars. But overall, this book is so moving, and you really come to develop some affection for Natalie as you see her struggles, she almost feels like a family member to you. The narration is so vivid that more than once I caught myself almost saying a prayer for her endeavors to be successful, then I would realize that she was telling something that was already in the past! The performance definitely gets five stars! I would definitely recommend this book!

Great read highly recommended

Harrowing and tragic true life story of life in prison and the horrendous conditions that had to be endured, without the help of allies, friends and forbidden love found in truly uncommon circumstances, it would have been difficult to survive. I sincerely admire the strength and perseverance of Natalie

Scumbag

I read a lot of these prison memoirs but in don’t think I’ve ever felt less sympathy for an author than this scrote. A crackhead who willingly put her child in massive danger, then has the audacity for fish for sympathy about missing her child throughout the book. I’ve since read she’s been imprisoned again in this country for drug offences. They should throw away the key. A decent story apart from that however the narrator sounds like she’s had a stroke and her accents are so bad I actually cringe on her behalf when I hear them.

it was ok think she would learn but

did not feel sorry for her you know the risks felt for her daughter but don't matter what state of mind your in horrible to do what she done and you think she would learn

Strong message

This is a dramatic and eventful real life story, and I value the message in it.
I found the reader's voice annoying for the most part, with terrible Spanish accents, not even pronouncing Chavez's name correctly, which would have been easy to research.
Still a worthwhile book, and my heart goes out to the author.

Incredible story. A real eye opener

Natalie if you read these reviews this incredible story will always stay with me. I think about where you are now.