A Knock at Midnight Summary
Brittany K. Barnett

A Knock at Midnight Overview

A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom by Brittany K. Barnett describes the author's transformation from a corporate attorney to an advocate in the national movement for clemency and criminal justice reform. This memoir reveals the flaws in the War on Drugs and the United States’ justice system as a whole, drawing on the author’s personal experience as the daughter of a woman incarcerated for addiction. Throughout the narrative, Barnett weaves in the stories of her pro bono clients, men and women given life sentences in federal prison for non-violent drug offenses. She explores themes of the dehumanization caused by the prison system, as well as the hope and passion needed to resist it and the untapped potential of those who are incarcerated. The book explores themes of injustice, resistance, redemption, representation, and activism.