Netflix’s new drama is getting tons of praise. How much does it owe to the book on which it’s based?
She may be known as Piper Chapman on Netflix's Orange is the New Black, but her real name is Piper Kerman, and her 2010 memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, served as the basis for the now hit show. If you've been wondering how the book compares to the series, here are the most noticeable differences:
Piper was not in the same prison as her drug-dealing ex-girlfriend.
This was one of the more dubious plot points of the TV version—that two convicts involved in the same crime (with a previous romantic relationship, too) would be placed in the same prison. Of course, the conflict between Piper and "Alex" (who is named as Nora in the book) made for great TV.
In Kerman's memoir, she does eventually cross paths with Nora, but under very different circumstances. (It's one of the best parts of the book, so I won't spoil it.)
Less lesbian stuff.
