Upon arrival at Barton Prison, Julian is processed and taken to a cell occupied by a prisoner named Gordon, who soon becomes his lover. However, six months later, a jealous guard sends Gordon to another wing of the prison, separating the lovers. Not to be deterred, Julian sends a message to Gordon via Lanky, another prisoner, which starts a long correspondence between them.<br><br>Through their letters, readers learn more about the two men -- their backgrounds, their secrets, their hopes and dreams. The letters reveal the story of two lovers trapped inside a prison, separated from the world outside and from each other.<br><br>But prison life is hard. There are bashings and murders. There are corrupt prison officers and violent inmates. How can Julian, who comes from an upper middle-class family and is incarcerated for an accident, hope to survive against such odds, especially when he becomes the target of a particularly corrupt and vicious screw?

Letters from the Inside

Thanks for your letter. Great news about your parole hearing. Maybe you’ll be able to join me and Aunty Margaret for Christmas. Wouldn’t that be the best Christmas present ever?


Hey, if you do get released, maybe you could come to the ABBA concert with me. They’re touring Australia early next year. I got a couple of tickets because they were selling out super-fast. In some places, they’re having to do two concerts a day to meet demand. I love their music and I know you do, too. So I bought two tickets because I figured that, whether you get paroled this year or early next year, you’ll be out before the concert. I got us good seats. Ten rows from the front.


Work is still full on. The Cafetorium is the most boring job I’ve ever done. It’s pretty much the same thing every day. I’m in charge of the kitchen now, but everything has to go through Maureen, who owns the place.


Chapter 26