“Taylor somberly informs his readers that ‘[m]ost men do not survive four decades of incarceration,’ a foreboding revelation that sets the stage for this riveting life story. That Taylor eventually finds peace, going so far as to ‘thank God for confinement because it gave me time to change,’ speaks to the enormous heart of this honest, affecting account.”
—Publishers Weekly, Web-Exclusive Reviews; September 10, 2007
Book reviewer Mary Ann Grossmann picked Willow in a Storm for her list of “21 Page-turners by Big-time Minnesota Authors” in the September 9, 2007, edition of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
“…The story at the heart of Willow in a Storm is compelling—it is a window onto a world many people have never considered.”
— Lara Stemple
Former Executive Director,
Stop Prison Rape
Willow in a Storm
James Peter Taylor and Kathleen Murphy-Taylor
Scarletta Press, September 2007, $14.95
Author contact: kcmurphytaylor@aol.com
Now blogging at willowinastorm.blogspot.com
In this raw, unflinching memoir, James Peter Taylor, with the help of his wife, Kathleen Murphy-Taylor, recounts the events of his unusual life—including more than 40 years spent in prison. A victim of childhood abuse, he abandons women, children and jobs until, in pursuit of “the perfect crime,” he unintentionally kills Minnesota banker Kenneth Lindberg, a married father of four.
The physical and sexual violence of prison threatens Jim’s existence. Prison life scrambles his sexuality, and he is attacked twice to the brink of death. Yet, with the help of inspirational literature and a few decent people who believe in his rehabilitation, Jim is finally paroled. Willow in a Storm demonstrates hope even in the most dismal of circumstances. It is a powerful addition to prison literature.
James Peter Taylor and Kathleen Murphy-Taylor have been married since 1996. Kathleen received her MSW from the University of Michigan and practiced social work for 32 years in the areas of child welfare, juvenile delinquency, mental health and senior citizen services. In her retirement, she gives full time care to Jim. They live in Minneapolis.
The Buzz
“I was stunned by the story of one man’s long life, and his truly spiritual journey into the abyss of our country’s penal system, and miraculously, almost mythically, his survival and return to society.”
—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking
“An intriguing look at prison life from the inside, Willow in a Storm will compel readers to examine long-held beliefs about imprisonment and those whom we have separated from society. I recommend it to my students and to anyone interested in learning more about life on the inside.”
—Frank Schmalleger,
Professor Emeritus, University of North Carolina,
Executive Director of The Justice Research Association
“The first-person account of sexual abuse behind bars is revealing and powerful. Kathleen Murphy-Taylor and Jim Taylor deal with this difficult subject in a way that is frank, unsentimental and honest. The story at the heart of Willow in a Storm is compelling—it is a window onto a world many people have never considered.”
—Lara Stemple, former Executive Director, Stop Prison Rape
“My goodness, what an engrossing read! Having served on the South Carolina Parole Board for 19 years, I sure could identify with Willow in a Storm. I tried to imagine myself with Jim Taylor’s Parole Board in the early 1980s, and decide if I would vote for Parole. A difficult decision, but I would have voted YES. Not after his first appearance before the board perhaps, but definitely after the second.”
—Rhett Jackson, former President, American Booksellers Association
“As compelling as Les Miserables, Jim Taylor’s story needs to be read by anyone interested in understanding the origins of one man’s criminal behavior as well as his successful struggle to survive the great darkness that is the U.S. penal system.”
—Bill Ronan, MS, psychotherapist
“In this fascinating book we read of a gifted person who tragically took a wrong path. We witness prison brutality and the painful fear, anger, and alienation of prisoners, which usually hardens rather than reforms. Then we read of the transformation that can come about, even in dire circumstances, when we put our trust in God and the hope of reconciliation with a community. I was amazed to read about the people who helped Jim Taylor find his way back to that good-hearted, gifted person he began as. It inspires the reader to be shown what the unconditional love of another person can do.”
—Al Quie, former Governor of Minnesota