Catching Lightning

In Catching Lightning, Patty Prewitt continues the story she began in her first memoir, Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar. Told through letters to family, friends, journalists, and public officials, this second volume traces the final twenty years of her incarceration in Missouri's women's prisons and the long path to her eventual release.

Written over decades, these letters offer a rare, sustained account of life inside prison as it is lived day to day. Prewitt writes with keen observation, quiet humor, and deep compassion, documenting not only her own experiences but also the lives of the women around her. Her writing reveals the relationships, routines, and emotional realities that shape a world often hidden from view.

Throughout, Prewitt remains steadfast in her insistence on her innocence. Even in the most difficult circumstances, her letters return again and again to connection, care, and the enduring bonds between families separated by prison. Catching Lightning is both a personal record and a testament to resilience, attention, and the power of staying in touch.