Forgiving My Daughter's Killer

Hi again. BookLook Bloggers provided this volume free in return for a review. 

This book is written by the mother whose teenage daughter was murdered by the daughter's teenage boyfriend. Nancy French, a co-writer of various conservative leaning books, helped. We hear the voice of the middle aged mom, who provides a very personal look inside her family and pain (at one point, she even explains her inability to have sex with her husband after the shooting). French also contributed to a Q&A at the end with the killer himself. 

The book is about family, faith and restorative justice. The author and her husband are the co-founders of the Ann Grosmaire (her daughter) "Be the Change" Fund, a charitable fund to promote forgiveness and restorative justice.  This is a form of justice that is based on three principles: crime is the violation of people and of interpersonal relationships, violations create obligations on the part of the offender and the central obligation is to right the wrongs. It fits in with the author's Catholic/Christian faith (her and her husband practicing different forms of Christianity over their lives) as well as being valuable to the victims as well as hopefully those who commit the crimes.  

It is a very good book though obviously hard to read, especially early on when basically it is waiting game for Ann to die (perhaps, this provides everyone a chance to get ready better in some small way).  Early on, though it isn't easy particularly for the father, the parents were open to forgive the killer.  I think the fact they knew him, there was some expectation he would actually marry Ann, factored in here.  Plus, the author (Kate) herself experienced death before -- as a child, her brother accidentally killed someone with their father's gun.  Still, her empathy is remarkable on some level, clearly, though there are other accounts of people who forgave a killer without having a personal connection with them beforehand.  I think some can "relate" with her a bit more on that end. Some might say "I couldn't do this" all the same.

The book tells a remarkable story as well as (without being heavy-handed or let's say overly angelic) talking about her faith through all of this tragedy.  It is well written and overall reads like a novel. 

Sister Dear by Laura McNeill

Hi again. BookLook Bloggers provided this volume free in return for a review. So, I received it before the official release date.

The book starts with the last moments of Allie's decade long imprisonment for killing someone who we soon know was a in her mind a travesty of justice. She comes back to try to rebuild her life, her sister (Emma) basically the only one on her side in prison.  Her now teenage daughter (Caroline) has learned to see her aunt as her mother and Caroline's relationship with Allie is in shambles. Allie's father still suspects she did the crime and her mother seems to be trying to keep appearances, not wanting to face up to what happened and is happening.  Meanwhile, the local sheriff has to deal with a sick wife and Emma with the stress of taking care of a teenage niece.  The book provides us with different perspectives in their voices -- Allie, Caroline, Emma and the sheriff too.

I have seen complaint that the last book by the author was not really "Christian" fiction, defined ("Christian novel") by Wikipedia as "a Christian world view in its plot, its characters, or both, or which deals with Christian themes in a positive way." That is rather open-ended, but often is taken to mean a certain conservative type of Christianity as well as requiring a certain lack of offensive language or sex.  This book to me fits the rules -- the basic plot involves redemption, forgiveness and trying to start again while not letting one's situation get you down or let despair win.  But, this isn't really the basic point here. The point is to tell a good story -- in particular, Allie trying to find out the truth.  That works too.

I would give this book an average rating.  The different perspective technique is one I like -- there are various ways to look at a situation, each person has their own way of doing that.  And, stepping into their shoes, looking at things through their eyes, is to me a good way to go.  Plus, the author basically does a good job doing that.  I cared about these characters and believed what was said about them, what they did.  The book itself -- a paperback -- was attractive, easy to read and good as a product.  The explanation of the mystery was believable and things kept our interest as the plot developed -- being purposely vague here.  On the other hand, the book was not that "next level" sort of book -- it was basically workmanlike -- that "wows" me.  I did at times find it plodding.

So, I would recommend this but give it three stars.