Amanda Knox, a book by the President of the Italy-USA Foundation

The book “Take me with you – Talks with Amanda Knox in prison” by Rocco Girlanda, President of the Italy-USA Foundation, was published in Italy by Edizioni Piemme. The book is the true story of a bond of friendship which developed a little at a time with an Italian lawmaker, member of Italian Parliament, who repeatedly visited her in jail. The author’s proceeds will be entirely donated to the Italy-USA Foundation, as an initiative for promoting friendship between Italy and the United States of America. The English edition is available as e-book on Amazon.com. Below you may read a translation of the introduction written by the Hon. Rocco Girlanda.

This book arrived by chance after the many meetings with Amanda which I wrote about as precisely and detailed as possible in a private and personal diary. A series of notes, at times a bit disorganized, written only for me, and that’s how you’ll read them. I hope my readers will forgive me for this. I never met Amanda’s family, her parents, her friends, her lawyers, all the people involved with her on the outside. I had no contacts with them, whether by phone or any other means. As I also say at the end of the book, my thoughts and my decisions answer only to my own conscience. Everything that came about was because I wanted to know more about this American girl who is the same age as one of my daughters. A girl going through the most dramatic experience of her life. I wasn’t interested in knowing Amanda Knox; I was interested in knowing Amanda. I believe that over so many months and so many meetings, I managed to do this. And in the same way I believe that over time a lovely friendship was born. And I hope it will continue after, clean, disinterested and spontaneous, just as it has been up to now.