Author: Kate Grosmaire

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 240

Kate Grosmaire received the worst news that a parent can imagine: Her daughter, Ann, had been murdered. To make matters worse, her killer was her boyfriend, Conor. Conor had been considered a part of their family, and had even lived with them. This compounded the devastation that the family was already feeling at the loss of their nineteen-year-old daughter. The book centers on the decision that Kate and Andy made, which seems incomprehensible to many people: They decided to forgive Conor for the murder of Ann. They knew Conor, and believed that this one, momentary act should not define who he was as a person. Forgiveness remains the central theme of this memoir, as Kate details their journey to forgiving Conor. She explains how forgiveness is not an instantaneous decision that one makes, but it is a choice that must be made over and over again. She also gives the reader some insight in to her past story, so that the reader is able to connect with her on a different level. I liked this, as it made it feel as though I could understand where she was coming from a bit better.

I did enjoy this book, as I have been on a bit of a memoir/biography kick for a little while, and I do enjoy true crime. I had trouble understanding how someone could have the capacity to truly forgive the person who murdered their child, but there was a quote that made me understand why they made the decision: She said that if they had not chosen to forgive Conor, they would be in prison with him. That really took me aback a bit, and made me consider their choice a bit deeper. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs and true crime, but I will warn you that faith plays a lot in to the central theme of this memoir. If that is not something that you would be ok reading about, then I would steer clear. Overall, though, I think that it is a pick.