Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial - Softcover

Chaudry, Rabia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250146542 ISBN 13: 9781250146540

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2019

Synopsis

Now a major docuseries

With intimate details and newly-uncovered evidence Adnan's Story goes beyond what the hit podcast Serial covered in its investigation of Adnan Syed's case.

Now a New York Times bestseller

“The first letter I received after being arrested in 1999 was from Rabia...As someone connected to me, my family, my community, my lawyers, and my investigation, there is no one better to help tell my story, and no one that I trust more to tell it, than Rabia.” ―Adnan Syed

On February 28, 2000, Adnan Syed was convicted and sentenced to life plus thirty years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, a high school senior in Baltimore, Maryland. Adnan has always maintained his innocence. Rabia Chaudry, a family friend, believes he was wrongly convicted and has fought for his release. But by 2013, after appeals were exhausted, things looked bleak. Rabia contacted Sarah Koenig, a journalist and producer at This American Life, hoping that she would bring possibly shed new light on the case. Koenig’s investigation turned into Serial, the international phenomenon and Peabody Award-winning podcast.

Adnan’s Story reexamines the investigation that led to Adnan’s arrest, covers new evidence and possibilities that have since come to light, reviews the court successes that have breathed new life to Adnan’s case, and in this new edition, reveals how she achieved success in the courts when Adnan was granted a retrial in March 2018. Woven with personal reflections from Adnan himself, including new never-before-seen letters he penned from prison, this in-depth book offers new insight into the story that captivated millions.

About this title

About the Author

RABIA CHAUDRY is an attorney and partner at Chaudry & Anwer Immigration Law, a recent Jennings Randolph Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, an International Security Fellow at the New America think tank, and a Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute. She is the co-host of Undisclosed, one of the top-ranked podcasts in the iTunes store with nearly 250 million downloads, and The 45th, with over four million downloads. She is a member of the National Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council and the Aspen Institute Vanguard Board. She is a frequent public speaker, and her writing has appeared in numerous outlets including Time.com, The Huffington Post, and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Review

"True crime enthusiasts and anyone willing to delve into the unsettling world of guilt versus innocence will find Adnan’s Story an enjoyable, but heart-wrenching ride. Chaudry has an impressive command of style–using the perfect balance of compassion and investigation to open Syed’s case to the world." ―The Lineup

"Rabia put her heart and soul [into this]. This isSerial come to life. If you liked the podcast, you will love this book." ―Daisy Khan, WISE

“Chaudry's book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how media ― particularly social media ― came to play such a powerful role in this case . . . Chaudry's passion clearly drives Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After 'Serial.' But it's the mix of media skills and legal education that makes her book such an illuminating firsthand report from the front lines of social media change.” ―Baltimore Sun

“Chaudry’s clear, vivid and highly readable account of the case will bring the story to life for readers unfamiliar with the podcast, and even the most devoted 'Serial' fans will find fresh insight and a vast amount of new material. Chaudry’s legal training serves her well as she marshals her defense, but so too does the Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith she shares with Syed.” ―Washington Post

“Crisp, powerful prose...Chaudry’s description of the PCR hearing in Adnan’s Story is utterly riveting―high stakes, a breakneck pace, brilliant expert witnesses.” ―Entertainment Weekly

"Any 'Serial' fan should eat up this heavily researched book." ―New York Post

"Rabia Chaudry is a woman on a mission . . . It was easy to forget, listening to 'Serial,' that it was a true story about real people. Adnan's Story adds context and humanizes it in a way that could change how you think about the case, and about 'Serial' itself." ―Los Angeles Times

“Adnan's Story should satisfy those who can’t get enough of this perplexing case.”―Newsday

"You’ll find yourself tearing through the book as quickly as you binged on episodes of the podcasts." ―Bustle

"Lays out new details that [Chaudry] believes exonerate Syed...[they] already have produced results." ―People

"As stories of wrongful convictions go, Adnan’s Story is hands down a certain winner." ―New York Journal of Books

"Chaudry is uniquely qualified to tell this story." ―Elle.com

"A skillfully written account of injustice that will have wide appeal to fans of Serial and readers of human interest stories, and is especially timely as Syed's conviction was vacated in July 2016 and a new trial granted." ―Library Journal

"Readers new to the story will have no trouble following―the narrative is outlined extensively from the beginning―and podcast listeners will find plenty of previously undisclosed material...She strongly makes the case for cultural and religious bias in the investigation and conviction and presents damaging evidence of police misconduct, including tampering with evidence and a witness. She also examines other suspects and their possible motives and alibis." ―Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"A page-turner...[Chaudry's] writing is clear, eloquent, and engaging, and her case is convincing." ―Kirkus, Starred review

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1250146542
• ISBN 13: 9781250146540
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432