Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother's Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace Book Review

There was a hard choice for me because you go into the book knowing that it is going to be sad.  If you heard about the Amish School Shooting in the same time as the many other school shootings, you know that people died.  I decided that I still wanted to read Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother's Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace by Jeanette Windle.  I was hoping that it would be more uplifting then sad.

Mother of Amish Schoolhouse Shooter Gives Message of Hope and Healing
Who would have believed all the beauty God would create over the nine years since that awful day. On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting ten girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother's story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. Her community and the world experienced trauma that no family or community should ever have to face.

But this is, surprisingly, a story of hope and joy--of God revealing his grace in unexpected places. Today Terri lives in harmony with the Amish and has built lasting relationships that go beyond what anyone could have thought possible. From the grace that the Amish showed Terri's family from day one, to the visits and ongoing care Terri has given to the victims and their families, no one could have foreseen the love and community that have been forged from the fires of tragedy.  Let Terri's story inspire and encourage you as you discover the wonder of forgiveness
and the power of God to bring beauty from ashes.

This was a tough book to read and I am not going to sugar coat it.  There were many tissues used during reading this book.  I was glad that I did read it because it is a really good story on how to continue trying to forgive people for things that are normally considered unforgivable.  It is amazing to watch the people in this book overcome the horrible and gruesome death of many people in the Amish schoolhouse and be able to forgive the man who took their lives.  I remember when this happened but I didn't follow the media coverage because it was just on the tail of another school shooting so I assumed that it was a school ages kid who came into the school so this was an interesting side to learn that this grown married man with his own children went to this Amish school with the intention of killing the girls.  It was hard to hear all of the things that went on in his life that lead him to making this horrible decision.  It was a little over the top with the quotes from the bible and talking about how God wants everyone to forgive instead of giving the actual reason they were offering their forgiveness.  I hope that you enjoy this book and keep some tissues close by because you are going to need it!!

** Please note that I got a copy of the book for my honest opinion and review.  All opinions here are my own.