Sandra Gregory

Reading this incredible story reminded me to be grateful for every minute of my life. While reading the book in bed sipping on coffee, I could walk to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat or go for a long hot bath if I felt like it. Sandra Gregory could not do any of this. She spent years in jail under shocking and appalling circumstances. Her crime? She naively attempted to traffic heroin out of Thailand for a near-stranger in order to make enough money to fly home to England. She initially show more received the death sentence which was reduced to life and then to 25 years. After serving years in a Thai prison and then several British prisons with hardened criminals and murderers she eventually received a king’s pardon. In telling her story, Sandra takes full responsibility for her actions and never comes across wanting you to feel sorry for her. Even so, I felt that her punishment was way too harsh for the crime. This book is a harrowing tale of how one stupid decision can turn your life around in an instant. It is a riveting read and left me feeling thankful that I have never had to endure anything near what Sandra has endured. If you enjoy affliction memoirs, this one is highly recommended. show less

This was better than I thought it was going to be. I bought it years ago, after seeing the film Brokedown Palace (about two American girls who are jailed in Thailand for drug smuggling), but it's sat on my bookshelf for well over ten years without tempting me, as it always looked a bit airport-book-ish.

It's surprisingly well written, and Gregory is humble in her account. For me, her treatment in the UK prison service was far more shocking than her experiences in Thailand. Although at times I show more wondered if she were as innocent as she made out in the reasons for her being moved between different jails.

I liked how the story examined why she smuggled drugs in the first place, and the stories of other prisoners were heartbreaking to read. But I did feel the ending was a bit rushed - I'd have liked to know more about how transitioning into daily life was for her. show less

Kept putting this one back on my shelf as it is really not my normal cup of tea, but eventually picked it up to read and pass on to a friend who knows Thailand well. Glad I did it, it was an interesting look into the lifestyle of some expats over there as well as the Thai and British prisons. Most importantly for me was that she didn't hide from her crime, claiming (as some do) that they were pushed into it.

Readers with weak stomachs should avoid this one; fans of gross-out, however, should make this next on their reading list.

Gregory makes a decent job of explaining exactly why she agreed to become a "drugs mule" in the first place - decent enough, at any rate, that we suspend judgement and concentrate on what happened to her after she was caught and sentenced. The account of her time in Lard Yao prison (known as the "Bangkok Hilton") is gruesome stuff: humanity reduced to animal brutality, show more senseless and pitiable deaths and some really disgusting incidents involving bodily excretions. You have been warned.

Also, the horror doesn't stop once she gets home, and the descriptions of British prisons (especially Durham) should be required reading for all British politicians. Nobody ever said prison should be a five-star hotel, but the system shouldn't condone *this*. show less