Summary

Orange is the New Black is the memoir of Piper Kerman, a woman who spent one year in prison as a result of her brief involvement in a drug trafficking operation. The story began with Piper’s criminal involvement and progressed to reveal the dramatic influence it had on her life.

The first chapter begins in the Brussels Airport, where the author, Piper recounts her fateful decision to become involved in a drug trafficking and money-laundering scheme. This was Piper’s only direct instance of money laundering, although she dated and travelled with Nora, a woman heavily involved in the business. In the airport, Piper eventually recovered her bag full of drug money after frantically searching, expecting the worst.

The novel then flashes back to Piper’s graduation from Smith College. Coming from a family that values education very highly, this was a...