Amanda Knox's Family Hopes New Book Changes Public Perceptions (VIDEO)

She's been portrayed by the media as a carefree party girl with a dark side. But jailed U.S. student Amanda Knox is being cast in a different light in a new book that's just now hitting shelves.

According to ABC News, author Rocco Girlanda met with Knox in her Italian jail 20 times over the course of his research for Take Me WIth You: Conversations With Amanda Knox in Prison. Girlanda, who believes Knox is innocent, portrays the 23-year-old inmate -- who is serving 26 years for murder -- as serious, solemn and anxious to get her appeal process, scheduled to begin in November, underway.

Girlanda writes that Knox told him, "Everybody tells me, 'You're famous.' And I answer, 'I'm not Angelina Jolie!' How ugly to be famous for this!" Other segments reportedly describe Knox's future career ambitions and desires to marry and adopt a child, though Girlanda steers clear of mentioning much about Meredith Kercher, the 21-year-old UK native whom Knox is alleged to have murdered with her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito while engaged in an erotic game.

Knox's father Curt says he is hopeful the new book will work to his daughter's favor in shifting public perception of her, which Kercher's attorney has reportedly slammed the book as "inappropriate."

Watch interviews with Rocco Girlanda and Curt Knox via ABC News below:

Comments

[Numa]

07:13 PM on 10/23/2010

Anyone interested in the Kercher case should look at the Sarah Scazzi case for another example of justice Italian style. As it is unfolding there seem to be many things in common. They interrogated the victim's uncle, who is said to have sexually assaulted and murdered the 15-year old Sarah. He then implicated his own daughter, Sabrina Misseri. Now she (and her father) is being held on that evidence alone, and the newspapers are full of gossip about supposed animosity between Sarah and Sabrina. I can't find a thing of any actual solid evidence against Sabrina. To make all this worse, Sarah's mother was notified of her daughter's death and that her brother in law was a suspect ON LIVE TELEVISION. I have no idea whether or not Sabrina and/or her father are guilty, but the Italians' apparent habit of spreading malicious gossip about the accused before they even compile a scrap of evidence against him/her is troubling. Perhaps the Amanda Knox story is not an anomaly after all. It is particularly troubling given that these are two cases of rape/murder -- crimes usually committed by men acting alone -- but here we have 20-something women being suspected, their reputations smeared, and being held in custody before any solid evidence has even been gathered. Anyone out their paying attention??

[one1byke]

07:28 AM on 10/25/2010

I am:

"I have no idea whether or not Sabrina and/or her father are guilty, but..."

[Schweik]

12:50 PM on 10/21/2010

Regardless of the her guilt or innocence, the suffering ennobled her face.
While before she looked like a typical vapid American teen, she now looks beautiful.

[Malarcus]

03:30 PM on 10/20/2010

Carrie2, would you just come out with your identity already? You have answered a bunch of the comments here in defense of a cold blooded murderer.

A convicted- not alleged- cold blooded murderer.

Either you actually have insight as to the Knox family or you are practicing some type of weird hero worship like the women who mail love letters to serial killers. If it is the former, you should at least lend yourself some credibility by stating who you are and what your relationship to the Knox family is. If it is the latter, seek help. Professional help.

[JC Court]

08:28 PM on 10/20/2010

Hi there Malarcus. and who are you? to come here and denigrate carrie2 and Amanda Knox. Do you work for Mignini?

Amanda Knox is Totally Innocent of this Horrendous crime, Mignini the madman Prosecutor is already a Convicted Criminal, and a disgrace to the Civilised World, and belongs in Jail.

[Carrie2]

01:57 PM on 10/21/2010

Because I have actually bothered to learn about the case before spewing invective on the internet, I must somehow be related to Amanda's family?? I have said nothing about the details of the case that is not available in the mainstream media, the motivation report, and the appeals. Those are documents that are available online for anyone to read. No, I'm just someone with a strong interest in this case because I lived much of my adult life in Italy working with college students, and am disgusted that the country would allow Mignini to destroy the lives of these two kids. And I am just as disgusted with the ignorant people on this blog who are spreading vicious lies and venom about people and things they know nothing about. It is shocking to me that, in actually giving a shit about whether or not Amanda and Raffaele are actually guilty, I seem to be the exception and am told that I need "professional help"; I expected more from HP readers. So much for the liberal intelligentsia.

[BIllyDelyon]

03:06 PM on 11/27/2010

I too have read a awful lot in regards to this case, and I agree with you 100%...

Amandas & Raffaele conviction is a travesty of justice by the Italian justice system and a crazy Prosecutor's vivid imagination...
He was convicted of 'Abuse of Power' in another case, and was convicted...

How come there is not one finger print, foot print, or any DNA of Raffaele & Amanda's in Meredith's room??

Hmmm...

[rbspickles]

09:04 AM on 10/20/2010

I watched a video of an ex FBI agent who went back through the evidence, court papers and such and he said he could PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that this girt was innocent. He was very convincing. Maybe we all should wait for the appellate court decision. If she's really innocent, she shouldn't be in jail...right?

[netzwerg]

09:29 AM on 10/20/2010

Ex FBI guy Steve Moore is paid for by the Knox Clan and their Seattle PR firm for years already.

"....he said he could PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that this girt was innocent."
Good for him, if so, he should hand over the evidence to the italian authorities or Amanda Knox's lawyers.

"If she's really innocent, she shouldn't be in jail...right?"
Of course nobody should be in jail innocent, but if she is really guilty of murder...

[N133]

10:16 AM on 10/20/2010

Terms like "Knox Clan" and a pattern of repeated and insistent posts exclaiming Knox's guilt...hmm sounds like someone has made their mind up already...maybe like the Italian court that convicted?

Poohpooh agents from the FBI all you want...maybe we can discuss why it gives people on message boards such glee to condemn a blond American girl, guilty or not.

[Carrie2]

01:02 PM on 10/20/2010

Steve Moore is not being paid by the "Knox Clan" or anyone else. If you are going to make such allegations, you should be prepared to back them up. Anyway, the Italian authorities already have all the information that Steve Moore has, so he doesn't need to hand over anything. That is why people are calling it an injustice. . . the verdict doesn't match the evidence. . .

[EmmaJ76]

05:25 AM on 10/20/2010

Once again Knox and her family trample on the memory of a woman's brutal murder to which their daughter was convicted of for her part (not alleged as the article says).

They are delusional if they believe people are going to suddenly see their daughter as a cuddly wuddly cutey pie especially when the book is a PR attempt and doesn;t even address the murder itself.

It was an understatement when "Kercher's attorney has reportedly slammed the book as "inappropriate." "

[Carrie2]

01:03 PM on 10/20/2010

Knox's family did not write or produce this book. If you have a beef with the Italian author of the book, fine. But don't blame Knox's family (and by the way, they aren't behind the Lifetime or Winterbottom movies, either).

[EmmaJ76]

05:01 AM on 10/21/2010

No but they support the book, as the article says: "Knox's father Curt says he is hopeful the new book will work to his daughter's favor in shifting public perception of her"

And like everything her family have done - including trying to undermine the laws of another land - have shown a distint lack of even empathy with what Kercher's family must feel.

[Barry T]

09:43 PM on 10/22/2010

Emma, are you aware that one of the practices of Italian law enforcement is to leak all sorts of incriminating evidence, essentially making the media the court? Are you aware jurors aren't subject to questioning and aren't sequestered? The Knox family were correct in their attempt to derail prejudicial lies.
Could it be another incident described in The Monster of Florence" "Having committed themselves to a defective theory, they refused to reconsider their beliefs when faced with overwhelming contradictory evidence." ??

[BIllyDelyon]

03:17 PM on 11/27/2010

Exactly, same prosecutor that convicted Amanda, was also the lead prosecutor in "The Monster of Florence" trial, and was just convicted of "Abuse of Power" in the Monster case.

[grange]

04:45 AM on 10/20/2010

Artist gets publicity be featuring war criminal/serial killer....as old as the hills.

Mugabe next ?

[freddychef]

04:00 AM on 10/20/2010

too bad that italy does not have ol' sparky for her.

actually, i'm against the death penality. but so many more onic merkins here saying she got a raw deal. and thats cause they dont feel any merkin should ever be held accountable by a forgien nation. & because shes not hard on the eyes and blonde.

if she was black, there would be alot less merkins complaining.

[Carrie2]

01:04 PM on 10/20/2010

"more onic merkins." Wow, you must feel smart.

[freddychef]

02:50 PM on 10/20/2010

your shoe fits the post, ware it!

[Giopaps]

09:11 PM on 10/19/2010

"Knox's father Curt says he is hopeful the new book will work to his daughter's favor in shifting public perception of her".
With all your respect Sir but your daughter is jailed in Italy not in the US. Doing it the "American Way" by releasing such a book will not earn your daughter much sympathy in Europe.

[Carrie2]

01:00 PM on 10/20/2010

The book was written by an Italian and released in Italy. It was not produced by Knox or Knox's family. The "American Way" has nothing to do with it. Curt Knox was asked by a reporter if he thought the book would help shift public opinion. He answered the question. What's the problem?

[LaBrayne35]

03:43 PM on 10/19/2010

Few know any details of this case...since so many are talking idiocy in here. They have the man who admitted he killed the English girl in jail now but Italian presecutors refuse Knox a new trial. The best investigators in this country have looked at her case and say...ALL of them say, she was railroaded...absolutely NO evidence she was in that room. No case but they do love their sensationalism in Italy. Disgusting!!!

[netzwerg]

05:57 PM on 10/19/2010

"They have the man who admitted he killed the English girl in jail now..."
Who's that??

"ALL of them say, she was railroaded­...absolut­ely NO evidence she was in that room."
Who is ALL??

"No case but they do love their sensationalism in Italy."
Nobody in Italy cares about Amanda Knox anymore.

"but Italian presecutors refuse Knox a new trial."
Huh?? Her appeal trial is starting in November.

"..since so many are talking idiocy in here."
You are a fine example.

[UKVisitor]

01:57 AM on 10/20/2010

Wow, just wow. Err she is getting a new trial, and the man who admits his guilt, Guede, says that Knox and Sollecito did it too. There is quite a lot of evidence in fact, if you would care to research it. You comment that few know any details of this case is plain wrong. There's a 400+ page document in the public domain. The State department has looked at the case and is keeping a diplomatic silence, does that tell you anything?

[Barry T]

09:19 PM on 10/22/2010

Guede changed his story. His 30 bloody footprints, DNA, fingerprints and the absence of credible evidence, all of which is also in that 397 page document ought to have been enough to seal the case. This is not an isolated incident with these Italian law enforcement folk. Read The Monster of Florence by Douglas Presston which details imprisonment and conviction of six people while the serial killer is still at large.Frankly I have no confidence that Amanda will get a fair trial with Mignini involved in the prosecution. . Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollicition are inocent.

[Oralloy]

04:56 PM on 10/23/2010

When you exclude all the fraudulent evidence, there is zero evidence against either Amanda or Raffaele.

The 400+ page document is the justification of a judge who intentionally convicted someone he knew was innocent. Hardly a credible source there.

Guede did not admit his guilt. But the evidence is quite clear on the fact that he is the sole killer.

[naimas]

02:27 PM on 10/19/2010

I find it interesting and disturbing at the same time on how people are defending the "poor white american girl jailed abroad". The girl participated in the vicious murder of her friend and roommate, and the other two also paid the price, so why shouldn't she? If the role were reversed, let's say an international student in an exchange program came to our country to study and one night of partying and boozing and sex, she participates in the murder of an american student, what do you think the sentence would have been for the international student? Life sentence or Death penalty. Am just saying...

[LaBrayne35]

03:38 PM on 10/19/2010

You obviously know nothing about this case...NOTHING. The media of Italy made the decision that she was guilty to increase readership...that was done. Not ONE piece of evidence was produced by the prosecution. They have a black thug who worked the area arrested for another crime and he admitted he was in the room, raped the girl and killed her...knew details only a killer would know. Amanda Knox is innocent...and I came to that only after reading the entire account...cause I thought at first she was guilty too.

[naimas]

03:59 PM on 10/19/2010

You obviously know everything about this case... EVERYTHING. And you know this case because you were there in Meredith Kersher' bedroom where she was killed and you saw the other two committing the crime, but not Amanda Knoxx, is that it? Or she swore to you that she was innocent? or you too got your news from FoxNews or Nancy Grace. And here in our country we don't crave for sensationalism? We invented it in case you forgot. I wonder how you would feel if this crime was committed against your sister, your mother, your wife, your niece or your female best friend? How would you feel? It's too easy to blame it on the Italian media and the others that were with her and deny that she had nothing to do with it. Too easy. My point was exactly in our country another person would not have gotten 23 years in prison for murder but rather a life sentence or death penalty.

[Behind the Tweed Curtain]

08:51 PM on 10/24/2010

Why do you chose to identify the "thug" as black? How is that germane to anything?

[Seaniebhoy]

04:15 PM on 10/19/2010

Well said mate....think part of the problem is that Americans see a girl from Anywhere, America getting into serious trouble they fool themselves into thinking that it can't be true because it reminds them of their own miserable kids.

[Oralloy]

04:52 PM on 10/23/2010

Actually we think it can't be true because the evidence is quite clear that it is not true.

[johnnygoodwud]

01:07 PM on 10/19/2010

BDSM, be very careful who you play with.

[Deparis]

12:11 PM on 10/19/2010

Hopefully good ol' Rocco Girlanda's next "project" would be to visit Meredith Kercher 20 times in heaven and write about their conversation. I'm sure she will tell us how thrilled she's that her life was taken away from her and her family and that Amanda Knox is the heavenly angel that her face and look would make the apologists believe. Sigh.

[Deparis]

12:00 PM on 10/19/2010

It ain't gonna change nuttin! Hitler wrote a book too and Little Georgie Boy and his D!ck are writing books too. And people wrote books about them to try to change perceptions about them too. What do Amanda Knox, Little Georgie Boy and his D!ck all have in common? They have innocents' blood on their hands.

Bare us her angel's looks. Guilty as charged!!!

[alsm9]

02:44 PM on 10/19/2010

WOW, did you just compare this woman to Adolf Hitler??? Unbelieveable and ignorant.

[Deparis]

03:00 PM on 10/19/2010

I could care less what you think. She is a murderer, whether she killed 1 person or a million. I do not know where you get the comparison other than the point I made about books trying to paint evildoers in a good light.

Now aren't you late for the March on Italy to teach them backward and uppity Italians a word or two about messing with an angel-face Americana? Sigh.

[Oralloy]

04:42 PM on 10/23/2010

"Guilty as charged!!!"

Nope. The evidence shows that she is innocent and the Italian police framed her with the knowing complicity of the Italian judiciary.

[BillyClub]

10:27 AM on 10/19/2010

Blame the Bush-Cheney Gang!

[Deparis]

12:05 PM on 10/19/2010

No, they were too busy waterboarding "them Muslims who tried to kill Daddy" to be involved in this crime.

[raosn]

09:33 AM on 10/19/2010

What is the title one the book? Don't tell me it is 'The Black guy did it'.