A prisoner gardens his way to freedom in this captivating picture-book biography.

When Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting, he was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. Thoughts of escape were replaced with new interests and skills—and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him.

Told with empathy and a storyteller's flair, Elliott's story is funny, touching, and unexpectedly relevant. Back matter about the history of Alcatraz and the US prison system today invites meaningful discussion.

Includes:
Time Line - "1969-70: Native American occupation of Alcatraz"
Descriptions and subsections of Indigenous involvement in Alcatraz. For example, "The Native Occupation" as a subsection
Select bibliography
Author's Note - includes the information Corrina Gould, Tribal Chair of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, "went over the passages concerning Native people's relationship with Alcatraz."