Dead Man Walking

About Dead Man Walking

In this graphic adaptation of Sister Helen Prejean’s bestselling memoir, acclaimed artist Catherine Anyango Grünewald and writer Rose Vines bring to striking visual life the story of a nun who becomes a fierce advocate against the death penalty.

“The now legendary story of Dead Man Walking has been heard and seen by millions. This updated, graphic presentation is yet another way for others, hopefully a new generation, to witness the inhumane treatment of those in our prisons.”—John Grisham

Growing up in a middle-class, Roman Catholic family in the Jim Crow South, Sister Helen Prejean had resisted the idea that religious faith could be harnessed into social justice until dramatic changes sweeping the Catholic Church in the ’60s and ’70s landed her in the heart of New Orleans’ housing projects.

There, she was asked to write a letter to Patrick Sonnier—a man sentenced to die in Louisiana’s electric chair for the murder of two teenagers. When Pat wrote back, Prejean’s life irrevocably altered course. She came to know a man who was as terrified as he had once been terrifying, as well as the victims’ families and the men who were charged with putting Pat to death.
For over four decades now, Prejean has worked alongside the convicted and the families of victims to abolish the death penalty, a sentence often determined by race, poverty, and geography.

This graphic adaptation of Prejean’s memoir offers an accessible way to engage with one of the most complex moral and emotional issues facing our country. Vines skillfully interlaces recent developments with the original account, amplifying its relevance for today’s readers. Grünewald’s illustrations urge us to engage with the humanity of this story, drawing an evocative, unforgettable portrait of mercy and justice.