• What Is OWN?
    Watch the preview!
  • Oprah's Club
    Sign up for the official book club newsletter
  • On Demand
    Watch Oprah's interview with Uwem Akpan
  • Little Readers
    Give your child the gift of books

Marina Jessop

Day Seven

Robben Island
When we were on Robben Island, we toured the prison where Nelson Mandela and many others were imprisoned for many, many years. We had the privilege of meeting a man named Indres, who had also been imprisoned for ten years. He was our guide and helped paint a mental picture to help us see what it would actually have felt like. What impressed me the most was that these men thought they would literally die in prison—freedom was worth dying for. Indres told me that while most countries are built from the top down, South Africa was built from the bottom up. It fascinated me.