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Brother One Cell
- An American Coming of Age in South Korea's Prisons
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
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Publisher's summary
At age 23, Cullen Thomas was, like most middle-class kids his age, looking for something meaningful and exciting to do before settling into the 9-to-5 routine. Possessed of a youthful, romantic view of the world, he set off for adventure in Asia and a job teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. But he got more than he ever bargained for when an ill-advised stunt led to a drug-smuggling arrest and a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Brother One Cell is Cullen's memoir of that time - the harrowing and unusual story of a good kid forced to grow up in very unusual circumstances.
One of only a handful of foreign inmates, Cullen shared a cell block with human traffickers, jewel smugglers, murderers, and thieves. Fortunately for him, the strict Confucian social mores that dominated the prison made it almost a safe place, different from the brutal, lawless setting most would imagine. In the relative calm of this environment, Cullen would learn invaluable life lessons and come out of the experience a wise and grounded adult.
With its gritty descriptions of life behind the concrete walls, colorful depictions of his fellow inmates, and acute insights about Korean society, Brother One Cell is part gritty prison story, part cautionary tale, and part insightful travelogue into the places most people never see.
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Florence Fein grows up in Brooklyn in the 1930s, in a family that is gaining a foothold in the middle class. At City College she becomes engaged politically with the left-leaning student groups, and eventually, in the midst of the Depression, she takes a job with a trade organization that has a position for her in Moscow. There, she falls in love with another expatriate American and has a son. Soon after, Florence is sent to a work camp and her son to an orphanage.
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Point of View of characters, past and present collide
- By Angela Adams on 01-29-19
By: Sana Krasikov
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The Damage Done
- Twelve Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison
- By: Warren Fellows
- Narrated by: David Tredinnick
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1978, Warren Fellows was convicted of heroin trafficking between Thailand and Australia. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Bang Kwang prison - better known as the Bangkok Hilton. It was the beginning of 12 years of hell in a place where sewer rats and cockroaches are the only nutritious food, where prison guards laugh as they deliver pulverising blows, and where the worst punishment is the khun deo - solitary confinement, Thai style.
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Remarkable -- in every way! Every minute is great
- By Eric Schurr on 12-05-13
By: Warren Fellows
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Picking Cotton
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- By: Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Erin Torneo, Ronald Cotton
- Narrated by: Richard Allen, Karen White
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape and eventually identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken - but Jennifer's positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After 11 years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. He was released after serving more than a decade in prison for a crime he never committed.
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Listen for the story not the writing
- By Professor Sombrero on 06-13-09
By: Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, and others
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Getting Life
- An Innocent Man’s 25-Year Journey from Prison to Peace
- By: Michael Morton
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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On August 13, 1986, just one day after his 32nd birthday, Michael Morton went to work at his usual time. By the end of the day, his wife Christine had been savagely bludgeoned to death in the couple's bed - and the Williamson County Sherriff's office in Texas wasted no time in pinning her murder on Michael, despite an absolute lack of physical evidence. Michael was swiftly sentenced to life in prison for a crime he had not committed
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A must read
- By Kevlar314 on 04-23-15
By: Michael Morton
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A Fraction of the Whole
- By: Steve Toltz
- Narrated by: Colin McPhillamy, Craig Baldwin
- Length: 25 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Stewing in an Australian prison, Jasper Dean reflects on his relationship with his dead father and recounts the many zany adventures they shared together.
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A Funny and Thought-provoking Tale of Human Nature
- By Asha Ember on 01-27-10
By: Steve Toltz
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Learning to Die in Miami
- Confessions of a Refugee Boy
- By: Carlos Eire
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Carlos Eire's story of a boyhood uprooted by the Cuban Revolution quickly lures us in, as eleven-year-old Carlos and his older brother Tony touch down in the sun-dappled Miami of 1962 - a place of daunting abundance where his old Cuban self must die to make way for a new, American self waiting to be born. In this enchanting new work, narrated in Eire's inimitable and lyrical voice, young Carlos adjusts to life in his new country.
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Excellent memoir of a forgotten time in history
- By BRB on 03-23-15
By: Carlos Eire
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Out of a Far Country
- A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope
- By: Christopher Yuan
- Narrated by: Christopher Yuan, Nancy Wu
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Christopher Yuan, the son of Chinese immigrants, discovered at an early age that he was different. He was attracted to other boys. As he grew into adulthood, his mother, Angela, hoped to control the situation. Instead she found that her son and her life were spiraling out of control - and her own personal demons were determined to defeat her. Years of heartbreak, confusion, and prayer followed before the Yuans found a place of complete surrender, which is God's desire for all families.
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phenomenal testimony!
- By Daniel on 06-01-16
By: Christopher Yuan
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The Association of Small Bombs
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- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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When brothers Tushar and Nakul Khurana, two Delhi schoolboys, pick up their family's television at a repair shop with their friend, Mansoor Ahmed, one day in 1996, disaster strikes without warning. A bomb - one of the many "small" bombs that go off seemingly unheralded across the world - detonates in the Delhi marketplace, instantly claiming the lives of the Khurana boys, to the devastation of their parents. Mansoor survives, bearing the physical and psychological effects of the bomb.
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A tragedy of manners
- By jdukuray on 07-22-16
By: Karan Mahajan
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The Darling
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- Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The Darling is Hannah Musgrave's story, told emotionally and convincingly years later by Hannah herself. A political radical and member of the Weather Underground, Hannah has fled America to West Africa, where she and her Liberian husband become friends and colleagues of Charles Taylor, the notorious warlord and now ex-president of Liberia. When Taylor leaves for the United States in an effort to escape embezzlement charges, he's immediately placed in prison.
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Complex and compelling
- By Ellen H. Anderson on 02-05-05
By: Russell Banks
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Finding Fish
- A Memoir
- By: Antwone Q. Fisher
- Narrated by: Thomas Penny
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. He ultimately came to live with a foster family, where he endured near-constant verbal and physical abuse. In his midteens he escaped and enlisted in the navy, where he became a man of the world, raised by the family he created for himself. Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born.
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This book will not disappoint you.
- By Joseph on 10-16-16
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They Said They Wanted Revolution
- A Memoir of My Parents
- By: Neda Toloui-Semnani
- Narrated by: Neda Toloui-Semnani
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1979, Neda Toloui-Semnani’s parents left the United States for Iran to join the revolution. But the promise of those early heady days in Tehran was warped by the rise of the Islamic Republic. With the new regime came international isolation, cultural devastation, and profound personal loss for Neda. Her father was arrested and her mother was forced to make a desperate escape, pregnant and with Neda in tow.
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I learned so much. Great pacing, felt like I time-traveled
- By Jess Fuchs on 02-07-22
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Love, Africa
- A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival
- By: Jeffrey Gettleman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A seasoned war correspondent, Jeffrey Gettleman has covered every major conflict over the past 20 years, from Afghanistan to Iraq to the Congo. For the past decade, he has served as the East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, fulfilling his teenage dream of living in Africa. Love, Africa is the story of how he got there - and of his difficult, winding path toward becoming a good reporter and a better man.
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Loved this book!!!
- By Benjamin on 05-26-17
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The Upside
- A Memoir
- By: Abdel Sellou
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1992, Count Phillippe Pozzo di Borgo, on the heels of his wife's diagnosis with a terminal illness, suffered a paragliding accident that left him a quadriplegic. Forty-two years old, trapped inside his luxurious Paris town house, he was an outcast for the first time in his life. Abdel, an unemployed Algerian immigrant who had been an outcast for his entire existence, would become Phillipe's unlikely caretaker. Quick-thinking, unsentimental, and more than a little wild, Abdel surprises both himself and his employer.
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loved it
- By RockyDog on 01-31-19
By: Abdel Sellou
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Unwind
- Unwind Dystology, Book 1
- By: Neal Shusterman
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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After America’s Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement. According to their Bill of Life, human life may not be terminated from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. But between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the child may be gotten rid of by their parent through a process called “unwinding.”
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Chilling, Scary, Difficult to Read
- By Joe on 11-11-20
By: Neal Shusterman
What listeners say about Brother One Cell
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- John
- 03-25-07
superduper
I've become somewhat hooked to listening to audio books. I work most days with my hands all day and night long leaving me very little time for anything else besides a good night sleep. As much as I certainly do enjoy silence, music, and the news these audio books have definately filled a void. Whether its listening to some Beckett or attempting to learn a new language through Pimsleur.
I found Cullen's story Brother One Cell fantastic. It will certainly share a space on my harddrive with such recent downloads as Absurdistan, Middlesex, and The Coming China Wars. I think narrator Dan Woren is superb. And listening to another American's observations based on his unique experience in Korea is a relevent and insightful treat.
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4 people found this helpful
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- adam bratland
- 10-31-24
Articulate writer
I really enjoyed this book. the author is a great writer. Interesting story with a great flow.
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Overall
- Starlet
- 08-22-11
Deeply introspective about life in prison
Great Listen with excellent, seamless narration...Every young person who plans on traveling to other lands should read this -- just as a heads up. Aside from that fact, the story is about a young man coming of age while in a South Korean prison -- it's a very adult book and full of insight to one's soul searching strategies.
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- Michelle in New York City
- 02-10-16
An Excellent Cautionary Tale
What did you love best about Brother One Cell?
This book is a true cautionary tale for young, naive adults who are traveling to foreign lands and who do not think about the consequences of their actions. This young man was educated and book smart, but he did not process common sense at that point in his life. Unfortunately, that fact led to many years spent in horrible subhuman conditions in a prison in South Korea.The author was very good at vividly describing his experiences; from his initial involvement in the drug trade to his arrest and throughout his prison sentence. He really is able to convey his shock, despair and finally, his acceptance of what he had no choice but to endure (once he was arrested). If you enjoy the tv show "Locked up Abroad" you will definitely enjoy this book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
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Overall
- Kathleen
- 03-25-07
this book could not be better
excellent, well written, well narrated autobiography/diary
mature and original introspection
as well as clear and deep views of other cultures and people
a crisp style which is also compassionate
a remarkable work and a very good audio book
This book could not be better.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Angie Shy
- 09-23-20
Powerful and inspiring!
Although I would have throughly enjoyed hearing the author read it, I enjoyed it very much 😀
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Overall
- Curious
- 05-06-07
A lesson before living
This careless young man thinks that he can do what he wants in a foreign country. He smuggles dope into Korea. He is caught and then is sure that he will be let go because he has never had to face a consequence before-he is an American after all. Korea has other ideas and he spends time in jail. He could have left that country bitter but instead learns many valuable lessons. He grows up. He comes home a very different person.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 02-24-12
Not Overacted
As a first generation Korean American, I could somehow relate to this story. Although I have never been in any prison, the author does well at explaining the Korean culture and give a lot of Korean dialogue in the book. Instead of overacting on the narration with unbearable Asian accents, the narrator using his natural voice, tries to speak the foreign dialogue as best as they can. I've listened to many books over the years where the narration of the story ruins the book because they try to portray the characters too much, where you cannot really listen to them any longer.
The base of this story is about an American, going to Korea, getting caught of having weed and being sentence to prison and understanding the culture and life because of it.
The story was okay. I mean, unlike the United States where you pretty much get a slap on the hand for drugs, overseas countries takes narcotics more seriously and maybe that is a lesson to be learned onto itself.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Alaska Girl
- 07-06-12
Interesting, but draggy in spots
Would you consider the audio edition of Brother One Cell to be better than the print version?
I didn't read the print version.
What did you like best about this story?
The beginning and the end of the book were interesting. The middle part was a little slow. I would have liked to hear more about what the prison life was like which is a bit glossed over.
What three words best describe Dan Woren’s performance?
Interesting, adequate, and fine.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
How a young man's error cost him 3 1/2 years of his life.
Any additional comments?
I recommend this book and am also interested in The Aquariums of Pyongyang.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Daryl
- 03-25-13
Memoir, travelogue, introspection
What made the experience of listening to Brother One Cell the most enjoyable?
I enjoyed the many aspects of this book. For the one reviewer who said that Cullen Thomas did not elaborate enough on his time in prison... I disagree. One does not need to read continual repetition of the depirivations of South Korea's prisons to understand that Cullen Thomas went through.
This is a well-written and narrated book - a memoir, a travelogue, and a deep introspective all rolled into one.
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cullen Thomas had to grow up and face himself - his ideas about life, his fear of long-term commitments, and his impressions of the world at large. I fully agree with the reviewer who said that the harshness of Korean prison, compared to many of our prisons in the west, forced him to take a good long look at himself. Whether this was a result of the harsh sentence itself or Cullen Thomas in particular, I do not know. But he had to look at his perseptions of himself, and the ideas of prisoners as well, and force us to read along with his story and question ourselves as well.
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