- 2016 Georgia Author of the Year Award Winner
- Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB 2015 Book of the Year Finalist
- 2016 IPPY Awards Bronze Medalist
- 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist
Praise for Remain Free
Remain Free is the moving account of Narula’s growing friendship with Davis until Davis’s execution in 2011…Meticulously documenting interactions with Davis by sharing letters and detailed accounts of visits and interviews, the memoir creates a textured portrayal of Davis that goes way beyond his often sensationalist media coverage. As we see the growing friendship between Narula and Davis, we come to appreciate the significance of the weighty issues Narula grapples with: The morality of the death penalty, the flaws of the justice system and the flawed people who run it, and the inhuman cost of living in the social habitat of a ‘high-security prison.’
– Georgia Author of the Year Awards
Before festivities for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards ceremony began last month, many of the contenders for Best Memoir were already conceding defeat because Jimmy Carter s book, A Full Life, was a nominee. So imagine everyone’s surprise when the former president of the United States lost out to 22-year-old Gautam Narula for his self-published book Remain Free about his relationship with former death row inmate Troy Davis, who was executed in 2011…[I] was thoroughly impressed with [Narula’s] intelligence and compassion.
– Atlanta-Journal Constitution
Remain Free is not just a recounting of the politics, harsh realities, and humanity of Troy Davis, it is the personal story of a young man’s disillusionment with the legal system and society in general, and how he is driven to change the world.
Regardless of a reader’s opinion on the death penalty, ‘Remain Free’ is thought provoking and in bringing out Troy Davis’s personality, Narula humanizes the people on death row…[it] definitely provides a perspective on the case that can’t be found anywhere else….Gautam Narula is clearly an exceptionally good writer.
– Kristine Hall, Reader Views
…this book is a massive achievement which does [Narula] immeasurable credit…It is moving, fascinating, fluent, powerful and a great read…I hope this unusual and provocative book resonates widely.
– Charles Hodson, former CNN International anchor
When I first began this book I was not sure what to expect. Being a veteran cop who has lost friends to street thugs, I was surely pro death penalty…Once I picked up this book and started reading, it was difficult to put it down. Not only does it detail the life behind bars of Mr. Davis, but also the emotional and spiritual journey of a 15 year old boy as he grows up and fights for the life of a convicted cop killer. During his journey the young author details his friendship with Mr. Davis and his own spiritual journey.
From start to inevitable ending this book had me [riveted]. It has given me a perspective outside of the cop mind set. I cannot say that it has changed my opinion on the death penalty, but I can say it has humanized those behind bars in a way I never saw coming.
I have known for a long time that our justice system is broken. This book puts a personal spin on what it’s like to be on the wrong side of that broken system.
I do not care what your walk of life is, pick this book up and read it, I promise in ways you’ll never see coming, it will speak to you.”
– L. Buchanan, Amazon review
This is one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in the past few years…People rarely know anything beyond what they have heard on the news about the accused, and Remain Free provides a rare glimpse into the other side of the story.
– SM, Amazon review
An incredibly thoughtful and touching memoir of a devoted friend’s extended fight to defend Troy Davis’s life. No matter what your thoughts are on the death penalty or on the Troy Davis case, I’d encourage everybody to give this book a read. It’s beautifully written, and it opens the reader’s eyes to details about the death penalty, the Troy Davis case, and Troy Davis’s life that were never well publicized.
– Marco Roca, Amazon Review
This is a fascinating story of the personal life of a man who became an icon. But just as important as the story of Troy Davis is the story of Gautam Narula, and what it tells us about what it means to try and live a life of purpose…Both Narula and Davis are authentic moral and intellectual lights who are ill-served by our world of institutional metrics. They are reminders that our inner lives can and should be rich, and that the outer world should be a reflection of the richness…Narula is a young man of extraordinary ability and intellect.
– Anonymous Amazon review
There is Stephen King’s “Shawshank Redemption”, then there is [Gautam] Narula’s “Remain Free”…A coming-of-age story, a book to prevent future injustice, a must-read for all high school, college and legal educators.
– Carmen A. Hopwood, Amazon review