Barbara’s book was selected by The American Bar Association as one of the finalists for the 2025 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose. 

March 12, 2025 | American Bar Association

“Bringing Ben Home” was shortlisted fot the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, selected by Columbia Journalism School and Harvard's Neiman Fellowship, recognizes "superb examples of nonfiction writing that exemplify the literary grace, commitment to serious research, and original reporting."

February 19, 2025 | Columbia Journalism School

NPR reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty reveals in her gasp-inducing narrative about how the whims of chance, politics, racism, and our country’s laws make it shockingly easy to wrongly convict somebody, and nearly impossible to win their freedom. Written with the drama of a John Grisham novel, the character-building of The Wire

Review by Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
November 2024 | Amazon
Click here to read the review.

Barbara Bradley Hagerty has written a true-crime story that reads like a legal thriller and, at same time, recounts the systemic failures of the judicial system. It is eye-opening, discouraging, and inspiring.
December 19, 2024 | The Christian Science Monitor
Open PDF version here

A thought-provoking cultural discussion of wrongful convictions based on race… A stirring account of a legal travesty that effectively reveals a rotten core within the justice system.
Review by Kirkus Reviews.
June 15, 2024 | Kirkus

Hagerty has written an engaging book in the vein of a legal thriller. But this genre would be more properly called legal outrage.

Review by Steve Blow.
Dallas Morning News | July 31, 2024

A lyrical writer and a gifted radio storyteller, Hagerty is a skilled collector of compelling anecdotes and quotes that contribute to making this book of more than 400 pages both informative and a pleasure to read... The resulting book is a page turner...

Review by Lise Olsen.

August 9, 2024 | Texas Observer

Open PDF version here

Spencer is awaiting full exoneration—in no small part because of a woman who found the most important story of her life.
Review by Michael Hall.
July 31, 2024 | Texas Monthly
Open PDF version here