A Mother's Reckoning
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''A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy'' is a 2016 memoir by
Sue Klebold Susan Francis Klebold (; born March 25, 1949) is an American activist and author whose son, Dylan Bennet Klebold, was one of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. After the massacre, she wrote '' A Mother's Reckoning' ...
, the mother of Dylan Klebold. Along with Eric Harris, Dylan was one of the
perpetrators In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated U. ...
of the
Columbine High School massacre A school shooting and attempted bombing occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth-grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 13 students and one teach ...
in 1999. The book details the childhood and teenage years of her son, and what she says are signs she missed that Dylan was suffering from
clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...
. The book also examines her grieving process in dealing with the fallout of the massacre. In his foreword to the book, author
Andrew Solomon Andrew Solomon (born October 30, 1963) is an American writer on politics, culture and psychology, who lives in New York City and London. He has written for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', ''Artforum'', '' Travel and Leisure'', and oth ...
wrote, "The ultimate message of this book is terrifying: you may not know your own children, and worse yet, your children may be unknowable to you. The stranger you fear may be your own son or daughter." Sue Klebold donated all of her profits from the book to mental health charities.


Contents

The book describes Dylan Klebold as he grew into a teenager and his behaviors in the time leading up to the massacre, as well as Sue Klebold's desire to leave public attention after the massacre occurred, as she faced negative attitudes towards herself and stresses on her family. She did not believe her son willingly partook in the attack until she viewed the videotapes he made with Eric Harris. She ultimately decided to promote suicide prevention. As reviewer Rachel Shteir notes, the book “avoids details of the attack”. The book also describes the various media-related controversies, including bullying, copycatting, and the effect of violence on U.S. culture. Sue Klebold often states that her son was depressive instead of
psychopathic Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to s ...
, and that compared to Harris, Dylan allowed some victims to flee, as well as killed fewer people.


Release

Sue Klebold donated the revenue from the book to charities aiming to solve mental health problems.


Reception

Meghan O'Rourke of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' wrote that the book is "compelling as a grief memoir" and that "to read it is to be unforgettably drawn into the devastation she endured". O'Rourke stated her belief that the "most haunting" aspect of the book is its inability to answer questions about why Dylan Klebold did what he did. Barbara Ellen of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' argued that it was a "brave, sad, self-castigating book" and that Sue Klebold never tried to "excuse her son's crimes". According to Ellen, the victims may not like Sue Klebold's rationalization that Dylan Klebold did not kill as many people as Eric Harris. She also noted that Sue Klebold focuses on mental health and "despite being anti-gun, she’s frustratingly non-committal about US gun laws." Susan Dominus of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that "the book's ultimate purpose is to serve as a cautionary tale, not an exoneration", and in addition she argued that the book was meant for the parents of the deceased victims. According to Carlos Lozada of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', the book shows the potential "warning signs" Sue Klebold missed as well as "an apology to the loved ones of the victims". Rachel Shteir of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' argued that the book could have given more information on Dylan's characteristics, and she concluded that "In ''A Mother's Reckoning'' there is much more suffering than understanding. Still there is some comfort in viewing this mother’s chronicle, as Solomon urges, as 'a narrative of acceptance.'"


See also

*''
No Easy Answers ''No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine'' is a 2002 non-fiction book by Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt about the Columbine High School massacre. Brown was a student at Columbine High School at the time of the shooting and a friend o ...
'', memoir by a friend of Dylan Klebold


References


External links

*
A Mother's Reckoning
'
Excerpt of the book
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mother's Reckoning, A 2016 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books about suicide Non-fiction books about murders in the United States Works about school bullying Books about the Columbine High School massacre Crown Publishing Group books