A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy

Written by:
Sue Klebold
Narrated by:
Sue Klebold

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
59
Narrator
27
Release Date
February 2016
Duration
11 hours 25 minutes
Summary
The acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine shooters, about living in the aftermath of Columbine.

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Over the course of minutes, they would kill twelve students and a teacher and wound twenty-four others before taking their own lives.
 
For the last sixteen years, Sue Klebold, Dylan’s mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong? Were there subtle signs she had missed? What, if anything, could she have done differently?
 
These are questions that Klebold has grappled with every day since the Columbine tragedy. In A Mother’s Reckoning, she chronicles with unflinching honesty her journey as a mother trying to come to terms with the incomprehensible. In the hope that the insights and understanding she has gained may help other families recognize when a child is in distress, she tells her story in full, drawing upon her personal journals, the videos and writings that Dylan left behind, and on countless interviews with mental health experts.
 
Filled with hard-won wisdom and compassion, A Mother’s Reckoning is a powerful and haunting book that sheds light on one of the most pressing issues of our time. And with fresh wounds from the Newtown and Charleston shootings, never has the need for understanding been more urgent.
 
Includes a PDF of acknowledgments and resources from the book.

All author profits from the book will be donated to research and to charitable organizations focusing on mental health issues.

— Washington Post, Best Memoirs of 2016
Reviews
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Caroline P.

Amazing and heartbreaking book. You can hear her sadness while she reads the book. I have so much respect and empathy for Sue. I’m thankful she shared her story

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Kim M.

No words. Incredible. Raw. Transparent. I ache for Sue, you will feel her pain in your bones. What an incredible act of courage to put her experience for all to hear and make some sense out of this tragedy.

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Anonymous

Amazing read!!!! <3

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Mari H.

Heartbreaking story.

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Jennifer S.

great thinker

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Daniel V

excellent

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Stephanie Schalk

I grew up in Littleton, and was on lockdown in an elementary school 5 miles from Columbine the day the shooting happened. I was only in 5th grade, so one of the only things I vividly remember is the fear of not understanding what was happening. I had siblings at closer schools and family friends who were in the cafeteria, and later, I befriended a guy through church who was in the library. The story became a part of the community and there were constant reminders of it in the media throughout many years, however, I shielded myself from information because I was so young and scared. This book provided me with so much insight and hit some very raw nerves, as I'm sure it does for many. I appreciate Sue Klebold providing her perspective and doing it for a positive purpose. I feel so much compassion for the Klebold and Harris families, and it breaks my heart that they had to deal with the death of their children, the guilt of what they did, and additionally the hate and threats from people in the community. I was blissfully unaware of the full impact this had on so many people and I now have a new perspective on these events and how brain illnesses can affect people, and I am glad that I am now aware of tools that I can potentially use to help people that I love who may suffer from depression, anxiety, or other issues. This is a must read!

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Anonymous

The book evokes emotion, along with sorrow, and sympathy, for the author and the situation presented to her. To have go through something she had gone through is simply unimaginable, and her courage to get through it and put it in words it truly remarkable. The book is not only her expression of grief, sadness, love, and anger, but also a guide to anyone who may deal with, or suffer from depression or even mental illness.

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Jessica Riddell

Amazing, well written and well read. This is a book I'll be listening to again.

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Shannon Burch

A great book filled with eye opening truths about suicide. Sue does an excellent job narrating I could feel her pain, confusion, desperation and healing throughout the book. The book is educational and gives a new perspective on gun tragedy.

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Kelley Adams

Tragic tragedy for all. I commend Mrs. Klebold for pouring her heart

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Shay Frederickson

Beautifully written and tragic to hear Sue's heartbreak in her own voice over the mass murder and suicide of her beloved son. I always thought "how could his parents not know he was about to go on a shooting rampage" and after hearing this, I learned a lot about the warning signs of depression, suicide and what to look for. I can only hope to raise my daughter to be happy, kind and loving, but I know that there are no guarantees. At some point you have to resign to the fact that you can only do the best that you can and pray that your children turn out well. Thank you Sue for sharing your journey and being so raw about it in the process. Bravo.

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Tabitha Hewitt

This book was amazing. I connected with Sue Klebold through this book and really felt her pain. She wrote this book in a way that made it impossible to not empathize with her. She has obviously hurt for many years for the victims of Columbine, but through it all, it was easy to forget that she too was a victim, and lost a son. She talks about Dylan in a way that none of us have seen and put into light many things I think the public had questions about. She makes no excuses for her sons actions and she is very forthcoming about his part in the tragedy. Wonderful writing and narrating.

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