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  • A Mother's Reckoning

  • Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy
  • Written by: Sue Klebold
  • Narrated by: Andrew Solomon, Sue Klebold
  • Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (81 ratings)

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A Mother's Reckoning

Written by: Sue Klebold
Narrated by: Andrew Solomon, Sue Klebold
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Publisher's Summary

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 12 students and a teacher and wound 24 others before taking their own lives.

For the last 16 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 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 recent 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Sue Klebold (P)2016 Random House Audio

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Awareness for all

I have learned a lot from this read but I believe the most important is that we all need a brain scan for our mental health and how we should take it more seriously And be educated more on our mental health and tools we can use or places to go or call when having a certain trigger,,,,i can relate to Dylan and Eric in some ways of there thinking but I believe if they had the help as she discussed in this book columbine would not have happened I’m so sorry for people who have lost there loved ones by any means and if sue were to read this I’m sorry for your tragic loss as I feel u lost more then just a son u lost what u thought u knew ur relationships and the loss of anyone affected by columbine who lost there lives as I can hear u carry that on yourself I’m also so sorry for ur family please know Dylan never had the capacity to think how his actions would affect everyone when I was a teenager dealing with the thought of suicide I never looked at what would to my family or how it would affect people who cared for me ,,,im glad your bringing this to the attention of everyone about the severity we suffer with mental health issues thank you again sue

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A difficult read for so many reasons

This was a hard listen. Despite the compassion I have for Sue, the cognitive dissonance that still remains in her narrative after all these years of reflection is heartbreaking. The revelatory tone of this book makes it clear that so many parents are still focused on checking boxes as they try to raise a "good kid", but are still not thinking critically about the boxes themselves.

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Changed My Perspective on School Shootings

Its really hard to listen to, it's very intense and traumatic, but I think its very important and everyone should listen to it if they can handle it.
The biggest take away I got was that we should remember that the shooter died by suicide and before gun control and political talks we should be focusing on that aspect of it. Focus on preventing suicide and doing mental health check ups, because it's so easy to miss the signs of mental illness, especially in teenagers

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Shocking

I'm on chapter 17 and I cant take much more. If what Sue says in this book is true, they, as parents would have drove me to do something crazy. Every child has issues but they don't conduct a mass shooting. To me, they (parents) created hell for this kid. No one can explain what the brain does to make that one person act out in such a horrible way. He was damaged, bullied and confused. His parents were on him constantly. Should have let him figure life out.

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Heartbreaking, shocking and perspective changing

Thank you Sue for giving insight into who Dylan was and how this affected you and your family. I know that some people might wonder why hearing about how this affected you is important. But I think that in order to have some sort of understanding of the tragedy, hearing your truth is imperative. If not to all, at least to many. That I know.

At the end of all that it real, children are individual people. They have their own thoughts, feelings and personalities as well as desires. We are not our parents as much as parents are not their children.

Some parents are overbearing, too strict, not strict enough, abusive and more and that doesn’t mean they will do these things. The actions that those two boys committed were planned out and executed by their minds alone. You shared this with love, respect and it seems to be genuine truth. Your pain is valid and real.

Love to all the families and people who were affected from that terrible tragedy.

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the undertone of harris

the opening was a man pretty much saying it wasn't her fault but harris'.

the book was repetitive in saying why she is not a bad parent and it all comes down to harris. How her parenting had nothing to do with her sons outcome. I'm not even saying it would be all the parents' fault, but not noticing the changes makes me think you're delusional. While her grief was real and grappling with her grief was genuinely felt, the harris was the mastermind was always nudging in. it's like when someone apologizes and then adds a but. You could have left that underlying tone completely out of this book. No one was expecting the curtain draw, with the TADAA reason this happened. Her description of events was honest and raw, and while it was difficult to share, she did so in an unfiltered you're with her way. I believe she was truly sorry her son did this and if she could have changed this, she would have then it was tainted by the undertone again.
Her path of grief was tragic and I'm glad she found an outlet with other parents to grieve bc that must have been very hard for her to separate the murderer vs the son that took his own life.
I'm happy I read this, I hope the parents and especially the brother have found a way to move forward.

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I can’t even imagine

A hard pill to swallow, everyday of your life, I’m sure. My heart breaks for her and the ALL victims of the shooting. A parents worst nightmare from all angles.

I would recommend

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Informative

Yes, this book is a hard listen for many reasons. It’s traumatic, graphic etc. however, I do appreciate that Sue was so open and honest about the events that unfolded, and the initial and later feelings she was grappling with. It’s well written and easy to follow. I would recommend this.

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Heart Wrenching

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is informative and insightful as to the mask we wear and how no one can really know what someone else is thinking.

I listened over and over to so many passages and will listen once again to the entire book after my husband has had an opportunity to listen to it.

I applaud Sue Kliebold! Her courage is astounding. There are few who could or would do what she has done under the circumstances.

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Courageous

I think Sue Klebold is a remarkable strong woman who had to face her son's demons without being aware of how truly severe they were. Alot more now than ever before children don't let there parents know they are suffering. Even go to lengths to convince them all is ok. She was a great Mom to Dylan

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