Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox’s friend, Raffaele Sollecito, is writing about his experience in Perugia, Italy, when he and Amanda were falsely accused of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007. The two spent nearly four years in prison until they were exonerated at the appeal level in 2010. The next level, the Italian Supreme Court in Rome, will rule on the case in late March 2013 and their duty is to assure that the appeal judges, Hellmann and Zanetti, followed the letter of the law and to listen to rebuttal arguments from the prosecution. Naturally the prosecution thinks that the appeal court was corrupt but when one considers that the trial was under a microscope by Italy, Britain and the United States it’s easy to see that that there was no possible way they could have cheated without someone raising a ruckus.

For the Perugian prosecution to claim some one was corrupt, all I can say is, "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

The release date for "Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox" is September 18th and Raffaele will be at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall at 7pm on September 25, 2012 for a book signing; admission is $5. "Honor Bound" is available for preorder on Amazon and at the UW Bookstore, if you buy from the UW then admission is free to the book signing. Dennis Bounds, from KING 5 News, will be on hand to moderate the discussion.

You can also purchase an autographed copy though the UW at http://www4.bookstore.washington.edu/_Reserve/ReserveAutographedSummary.taf?ISBN=+++++1451695985&Directarg=insert&insert=list&NewUsed2=NEW&ActionArg=IntoBasket.

"Honor Bound," an apt title, refers to Raffaele’s personal conviction to stay in Perugia helping Amanda when other European students left as fast as they could. We are all very familiar with what Amanda’s family endured, but they were somewhat insulated by the distance from Perugia and did not suffer at the hands of American’s the way that Raffaele’s family suffered at the hands of the Italians. It will be very interesting to hear more of what happened to Raffaele and his family; much of this information was not forthcoming because of the danger that they faced.

Andrew Gumble assisted Raffaele in writing his memoir. Gumble, formerly a foreign correspondent for British newspapers, has written extensively about politics, the criminal justice system and is the author of "Steal This Vote: Dirty Elections and the Rotten History of Democracy in America" (2005) and "Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed and Why It Still Matters" (2012). Raffaele’s literary agent is Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management in Seattle who also managed "The Pregnancy Project" by Gaby Rodriguez and "Special Agent Man" by Steve Moore. Moore, incidentally, was instrumental in bringing light the injustices of Amanda and Raffaele’s case to mainstream American media. I just finished his book and found it to be informative, humorous and poignant. I was shocked to find out that America nearly suffering two disasters in 2001, but the first was averted by a FBI task force where Steve played a significant role. The second we came to know as 9/11.

I was pleased to meet Raffaele last spring and found him to be exactly the person that his family and friends described. Intelligent, kind, funny and was very glad that his parents raised a true Italian gentleman who exemplifies chivalry, courtesy and honor. This family reached out to the Kerchers the week that the kids were released from prison, offering to sit down and personally discuss the case with them, and one of the first things Raffaele did was light a candle in Meredith’s memory. He and Amanda have remained staunch friends though out this ordeal. He really is the proverbial Nice Guy.

So show your support to Raffaele, the one person who showed his support to Amanda during a dark time in her life, and come meet this remarkable young man.