A Mother's Reckoning cover art

A Mother's Reckoning

Living in the Aftermath of the Columbine Tragedy

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A Mother's Reckoning

By: Sue Klebold
Narrated by: Andrew Solomon, Sue Klebold
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About this listen

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.

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

©2016 Sue Klebold (P)2016 Random House AudioBooks
Biographies & Memoirs Disaster Relief Mental Health Psychology

What listeners say about A Mother's Reckoning

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Heartbreaking

Sue Klebold has been incredibly brave in telling her story knowing that by opening up her family’s lives for others to critique she’s potentially inviting more criticism into her life. My heartbroken for her as she discussed the pain and confusion she felt following the massacre and I sincerely hope she finds peace.

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traumatic but important

I cried and worried about myself and son. To share this deeply personal story has helped me in many ways. Thank you and Kia Kaha Sue.

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heartwrenching

Such an amazing story and well narrated. I really feel for sue klebold and her cause. I learnt so much from her story. so heart wrenching.

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wow

very powerful and thought provoking, cannot recommend highly enough for those suffering from mental illness or not

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Must read for anyone raising teenagers

I found this reading compelling and heartbreaking. As a mother of a 16yr old boy in 2021 my eyes have been opened to the unknown impossible possibility’s that may well be being felt in my home.
Thank you Sue for telling your family’s story.

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A lifetime of attonement for a sons deeds.

In a heart breaking story i could feel the grief of the author with every passage. A fascinating take on the Columbine tragedy this book makes a strong statement about the importance of mental health in our youth and gives real meaning to the phrase "there but for the grace of god go I". Sue Klebold is very brave for sharing her thoughts, feelings and years of pain with us. The book also says a lot about connectedness with our children and how difficult it can be for teenagers it can be to share their innermost feelings but why this is so important.

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heartfelt and hard

I feel your pain Sue, as you try to piece together answers. I feel Dylan's pain and sense of hopelessness too. Thankyou for reaching deep within and sharing.

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Not sure how I feel about this book

I feel like Sue was upfront and forthcoming in most areas. I believe she only tried to dissect every inch she could of their lives to find out why or how this could could happen and how she missed it which I believe any parent would do. I don’t feel like she made excuses although I do feel like she found 1 or many explanations and ran with it because it seemed easier to believe it. Regardless of her views on how this happened we have to remember we are NOT the only ones raising our kids so monitor who their friends are and what’s happening at school etc if a teacher says they are concerned about a paper your child has written and believes it to be dark demand to see it from the teacher herself. We are our children’s parents before we are their friends. I think it’s written well and it’s worth the read if you’re open minded Sue tries to make it clear that there is no justification for her son’s behaviour I really do hope she looks at other alternatives as to the “how or why”. I don’t doubt for a second it’s brain illness because no one in their right mind would commit such a crime but focusing on one particular brain illness can also be quite damaging.

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touching

i loved the book and author , it had a great point of view from a parent. one of the other best book I've heard on this app

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heartbreaking

a truly tragic event. Sue's desire to learn how her son could carry out such an atrocity is a challenging listen. well written

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