A Mother's Reckoning

A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy
	First edition
Author	Sue Klebold
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Memoir
Published	2016
Publisher	Crown Publishers
Pages	305
ISBN	978-1-101-90275-2 (hardcover)

Last updated April 21, 2024

A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy is a 2016 memoir by Sue Klebold, the mother of Dylan Klebold.^[2] Along with Eric Harris, Dylan was one of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The book details the childhood and teenage years of her son, and what she says are signs she missed that Dylan was suffering from clinical depression. The book also examines her grieving process in dealing with the fallout of the massacre.^[3]

In his foreword to the book, author Andrew Solomon wrote, "The ultimate message of this book is terrifying: you may not know your own children, and worse yet, your children may be unknowable to you. The stranger you fear may be your own son or daughter."^[4] Sue Klebold donated all of her profits from the book to mental health charities.^[5]

The book describes Dylan Klebold as he grew into a teenager and his behaviors in the time leading up to the massacre, as well as Sue Klebold's desire to leave public attention after the massacre occurred,^[6] as she faced negative attitudes towards herself and stresses on her family. She did not believe her son willingly partook in the attack until she viewed the videotapes he made with Eric Harris.^[7] She ultimately decided to promote suicide prevention.^[5] As reviewer Rachel Shteir notes, the book “avoids details of the attack”.^[6] The book also describes the various media-related controversies, including bullying, copycatting, and the effect of violence on U.S. culture.^[7] Sue Klebold often states that her son was depressive instead of psychopathic, and that compared to Harris, Dylan allowed some victims to flee, as well as killed fewer people.^[7]

Release

Sue Klebold donated the revenue from the book to charities aiming to solve mental health problems.^[8]

Reception

Meghan O'Rourke of The Guardian wrote that the book is "compelling as a grief memoir" and that "to read it is to be unforgettably drawn into the devastation she endured".^[9] O'Rourke stated her belief that the "most haunting" aspect of the book is its inability to answer questions about why Dylan Klebold did what he did.^[9]

Barbara Ellen of The Observer argued that it was a "brave, sad, self-castigating book" and that Sue Klebold never tried to "excuse her son's crimes". According to Ellen, the victims may not like Sue Klebold's rationalization that Dylan Klebold did not kill as many people as Eric Harris. She also noted that Sue Klebold focuses on mental health and "despite being anti-gun, she’s frustratingly non-committal about US gun laws."^[7]

Susan Dominus of The New York Times wrote that "the book's ultimate purpose is to serve as a cautionary tale, not an exoneration", and in addition she argued that the book was meant for the parents of the deceased victims.^[5] According to Carlos Lozada of The Washington Post , the book shows the potential "warning signs" Sue Klebold missed as well as "an apology to the loved ones of the victims".^[1] Rachel Shteir of The Boston Globe argued that the book could have given more information on Dylan's characteristics, and she concluded that "In A Mother's Reckoning there is much more suffering than understanding. Still there is some comfort in viewing this mother’s chronicle, as Solomon urges, as 'a narrative of acceptance.'"^[6]

Related Research Articles

The Columbine High School massacre, commonly referred to as Columbine, was a school shooting and attempted bombing that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth-grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered twelve students and one teacher. Ten of the twelve students killed were in the school library, where Harris and Klebold subsequently died by suicide. Twenty-one additional people were injured by gunshots, and gunfire was also exchanged with the police. Another three people were injured trying to escape. The Columbine massacre was the deadliest mass shooting at a K-12 school in U.S. history, until it was surpassed by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, and later the Uvalde school shooting in May 2022, and the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in U.S. history until the Parkland high school shooting in February 2018. Columbine still remains both the deadliest mass shooting and the deadliest school shooting to occur in the U.S. state of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold</span> American mass murderers (1981–1999)

Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 in Columbine, Colorado. Harris and Klebold killed 12 students, one teacher, and wounded 24 others. After killing most of their victims in the school's library, they died by self-inflicted gunshot wounds. At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Bernall</span> Victim of the Columbine High School Massacre

Cassie René Bernall was an American student who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre, where 11 more students and a teacher were killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide. It was reported that Bernall had been asked whether or not she believed in God, and she said "Yes", before being shot during the massacre. However, investigators concluded the person who was asked about her belief in God was Valeen Schnurr, who survived the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Scott</span> American murder victim (1981–1999)

Rachel Joy Scott was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide.

Columbine High School (CHS) is a public high school in Columbine, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district.

<i>Super Columbine Massacre RPG!</i> 2005 role-playing video game

Super Columbine Massacre RPG! is a role-playing video game created by Danny Ledonne and released in April 2005. The game recreates the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Columbine, Colorado. Players assume the roles of gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and act out the massacre, with flashbacks relating parts of Harris and Klebold's past experiences. The game begins on the day of the shootings and follows Harris and Klebold after their suicides to fictional adventures in perdition.

columbinus is a play written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli, with contributions by Josh Barrett, Sean McNall, Karl Miller, Michael Milligan and Will Rogers, created by the United States Theatre Project. The play looks at issues of alienation, hostility and social pressure in high schools and was suggested by the April 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. The play premiered in Silver Spring, Maryland in 2005 and then Off-Broadway in 2006.

Rachel's Challenge is an organization in the United States that works to reduce violence. It is a non-religious, non-profit, non-political organization, led by Darrell Scott and his wife Sandy.

<i>Columbine</i> (book) 2009 non-fiction book written by Dave Cullen

Columbine is a non-fiction book written by Dave Cullen and published by Twelve on April 6, 2009. It is an examination of the Columbine High School massacre, on April 20, 1999, and the perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The book covers two major storylines: the killers' evolution leading up to the attack, and the survivors' struggles with the aftermath over the next decade. Chapters alternate between the two stories. Graphic depictions of parts of the attack are included, in addition to the actual names of friends and family.

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I'm Not Ashamed is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Brian Baugh and based on the journals of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Columbine, Colorado. Scott, played by Masey McLain, serves as the protagonist of the film; the story of both gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, is intertwined with hers and this indicates the two were the antagonists. The film was distributed by Pure Flix Entertainment. It received generally negative reviews from critics and audiences. It performed poorly at the box office as well, with revenue of $2.1 million compared to the $1.5 million budget of the film.

<i>The Library</i> (play) 2014 play by Scott Z. Burns

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References

1 2 Lozada, Carlos (February 13, 2016). "17 years after Columbine, the mother of one of the killers finally tells her story". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
↑ Carlston, Liz (February 12, 2016). "Columbine Shooter's Mother Writes a Book - Survivor's Reaction". HuffPost .
↑ Klebold, Sue (2016). A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy. New York City, US: Crown Publishing Group. p. 145. ISBN 9781101902776 . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
↑ Lysiak, Matthew (March 9, 2016). "This Child Will Bring Me a Terrible Sorrow". Slate.com . Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
1 2 3 Dominus, Susan (February 28, 2016). "'A Mother's Reckoning,' by Sue Klebold". The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
1 2 3 Shteir, Rachel (February 17, 2016). "'A Mother's Reckoning' doesn't dig deep enough". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
1 2 3 4 Ellen, Barbara (March 13, 2016). "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of the Columbine Tragedy by Sue Klebold – review". The Observer. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
↑ Lenney, Dinah (February 14, 2016). "In 'A Mother's Reckoning,' Sue Klebold tries to make sense of her son and Columbine". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
1 2 O'Rourke, Meghan (April 14, 2016). "A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold review – why my son killed at Columbine". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

External links

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[pages-1] 1 2 Lozada, Carlos (February 13, 2016). "17 years after Columbine, the mother of one of the killers finally tells her story". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

[2] Carlston, Liz (February 12, 2016). "Columbine Shooter's Mother Writes a Book - Survivor's Reaction". HuffPost .

[3] Klebold, Sue (2016). A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy. New York City, US: Crown Publishing Group. p. 145. ISBN 9781101902776 . Retrieved December 18, 2020.

[4] Lysiak, Matthew (March 9, 2016). "This Child Will Bring Me a Terrible Sorrow". Slate.com . Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.

[DominusNYT-5] 1 2 3 Dominus, Susan (February 28, 2016). "'A Mother's Reckoning,' by Sue Klebold". The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

[ShteirBosGlob-6] 1 2 3 Shteir, Rachel (February 17, 2016). "'A Mother's Reckoning' doesn't dig deep enough". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

[EllenB-7] 1 2 3 4 Ellen, Barbara (March 13, 2016). "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of the Columbine Tragedy by Sue Klebold – review". The Observer. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.

[LenneyLAT-8] Lenney, Dinah (February 14, 2016). "In 'A Mother's Reckoning,' Sue Klebold tries to make sense of her son and Columbine". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

[ORourke-9] 1 2 O'Rourke, Meghan (April 14, 2016). "A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold review – why my son killed at Columbine". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

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