A Saint on Death Row: How a Forgotten Child Became a Man and Changed a World

This book is about the events leading up to the 2004 execution of Dominique Green, formerly of Houston. Dominique was convicted of shooting a gas station attendant although there were no witnesses; the only person who claimed to see the crime never claimed to see Dominique actually shoot the victim. He was convicted by virtue of being poor and having a horrible lawyer in a trial so buffoonish that the victim's family actually protested it. (They later befriended him and refused to attend his execution.)Dominique, who was 30 when he died after 12 years in Death Row, seems to have been a good kid gone bad after a history of tragic abuse. In prison he turned his life around as sometimes happens and attracted the attention of the San'Egidio religious community in Italy, where his example and increasingly literate writing style won hearts and minds, especially after his essay about the rosary he'd made for himself was published in the National Catholic Reporter.Although I'd had this book highly recommended to me, I was disappointed. Dominique was black, and I felt that this book was less his biography than the white author's ploy to turn Dominique's story into a anti-death penalty essay. While I fully expected the book to be partly that, I still had the uncomfortable feeling that Dominque was a means to an end although I do not doubt Cahill's genuine fondness for him.The book talks only briefly about his prayer life. It mentions particularly his use of An African Prayer Book given to him by +Archbishop Desmond Tutu who visited him once, and of course his famous rosary. However that's all Cahill gives us. I wanted to read about his return to the Church, because that had to have been an epic journey--Dominique had been raped by a priest as a child. I can get facts and figures and anecdotes about executions anywhere on the internet. Biographies of souls that become beautiful despite all odds, not so much.

It's an amazing true story of a black young man accused and convicted wrongly of a crime. He was on a bad path before prison and changed drastically while incarcerated. Sad, but so true for its time.

As an employee of TDCJID, I can not think of this child's grace filled life without wanting to thank everyone who intervened in any way to lead him to depend on God as he did. My thanks to you all and to Tom Cahill for telling the story. This is why I oppose the death penalty so firmly.

I glad I read the book. However I dont share the sentiments of many reviewers. The inmate was guilty. He indicated not doing the crime but having knowledge of who did it - are you serious? Why would a person go to death without revealing vital information that could lead to their freedom?

A moving account of the redemption of one man and the inability of society and our legal system to recognize that. This is a well written book worthy of being read by anyone interested in how persons are changed.

WONDERFUL, POWERFUL BOOK. JAILS ARE NOT THE PLACE TO BE FOR THE INNOCENT. YOU REALIZE THE LONELINESS OF A PRISONER AND WHEN IT CAME TO THAT SECLUSION. DOMINIQUE DID SOMETHING WITH HIS LIFE THAT MADE HIM UNDERSTAND HIMSELF. BUYING BOOKS FROM AMAZON IS THE BEST BECAUSE YOU GET TO READ ABOUT THE STORIES AND MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT RUSHING, TAKING ALL THE TIME YOU WANT.

A really emotion filled synopsis of a young man and his stay on death row.

A Saint on Death Row portrays the injustices on a big scale that this young man faced, as well as his punishment for being black, young, needing guidance in his life. When even Desmond Tutu intervenes on his behalf and among many others believes him to be innocent, well it made me rethink my negative judgements about others. Read it.

I love this book ! Such a well written and heartbreaking true story. Made me cry a lot of times ! I would recommend this book to obviously anyone who has an interest on death row and particularly how the human mind can accept an horrible fate and even help other people through it .