“Utterly compelling, Invisible Prisons is an indictment, a courageous testimony, and a call to change. Lisa Moore and Jack Whalen collaborate to bring to life Whalen’s distinct voice and the terrible experiences he was subjected to as a teenage boy during four years of abuse in a ‘reform school’ in Newfoundland. By documenting Whalen’s removal from his family home by the hands of the state, his incarceration in places known to be violently abusive, and his refusal to remain there, Moore and Whalen give language to the violence hiding in plain sight and the effects of solitary confinement on the body and psyche. Whalen escapes again and again, and we see how he is sustained by his determination to be free — along with the love and support of his birth and made families.”—2024 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction jury (Annahid Dashtgard, Taylor Lambert and Christina Sharpe) 

“Caught by Lisa Moore marries the plot-driven urgency of a pulp thriller with the distinctive literary style for which Moore is already beloved. Following David Slaney’s dramatic prison break, and his cross country chase by Staff Sergeant Patterson, Moore manages the difficult feat of endearing both hero and villain to her reader. Even her very minor characters seem fully alive, wholly realized people. This rollicking, fast-paced book is a pleasure to read from start to finish.” — 2013 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize Jury (Caroline Adderson, Alison Pick, and Miguel Syjuco)

“At the time of the publication of her first collection of stories in 1995 it was immediately apparent that Lisa Moore was a writer of startling originality and compelling emotional truth. Since then she has been a constant and vital contributor to the world of Canadian letters, producing one acclaimed work of fiction after another, as well as writing articles and compiling anthologies. While her canvas is contemporary Newfoundland — in particular the city of St John’s where she lives — her understanding and portrayal of human character and relationships is universal. We fully expect further greatness from her, and are confident that her already extensive readership will continue to grow.”
— 2013 Writers’ Trust Engel/Findley Award Jury (Nino Ricci, Wayne Johnston, Jane Urquart)