Sutton, by J.R. Moehringer

J.R. Moehringer. Sutton. New York: Hyperion, 2012. 334 pages. ISBN 9781401323141.

Willie Sutton was one of the most famous bank robbers of the 20th century, but he has largely fallen from popular consciousness. Born in 1901, Willie began robbing jewelry stores at a young age, and then turned to robbing banks. Proud and insistent that he never killed anyone, he nevertheless spent more than half of his adult life behind bars. Not only was Willie Sutton famous for robbing banks, he was also notorious for escaping from prison, having escaped from both Sing Sing and Eastern Penitentiary, and having made many unsuccessful attempts to escape as well.

On Christmas Eve 1969 Willie was released after serving 18 years of a life sentence in Attica prison; his poor health convincing the governor that he had only a short time to live. He spent Christmas day with a reporter who had arranged for an exclusive interview with Sutton. Fooling everyone again, Willie managed to live another 10 years, finally dying in Florida in 1980.

In Sutton, Mr. Moehringer imagines what that Christmas day was like for Willie, travelling all around New York City visiting key locales in Willie's life story. They travel to the place where he met the love of his life, the first jewelry store that he robbed, places he lived, and more. At each location Willie remembers how his life unfolded and why he made the decisions that led to his life of crime and his many incarcerations.

Mr. Moehringer's writing is clear and engaging. The dialogue that he imagines for Willie and his peers seems authentic and natural. The stories that he creates to fill in Willie's narrative are believable. Sutton is well-written and compulsively readable. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.