I do not know much at about Bundy and his escapades. Although this was fiction, I couldn't help but wonder what really went on. I did not watch the EfI do not know much at about Bundy and his escapades. Although this was fiction, I couldn't help but wonder what really went on. I did not watch the Efron movie (I think the character Pamela in this book would be happy to hear that) nor watch any Netflix documentaries.
So, I suppose, I took this book at face value, and really did enjoy it. I listened to the audio, and was SO excited to realise Sutton Foster was narrating one of the leads. I loved her in the tv show Younger which I will watch again. Straight away I warmed to her voice. The only squabble I had with this was when she pronounced the world 'a' I would normally pronounce 'u' where her pronouncement was a very strong 'A', and I noticed it every time. No matter, her voice is lovely.
Pamela is the sorority president, a good girl who will choose to stay home and not stray far from home. She finds her friends murdered, in the most deplorable way. So much on her shoulders given her presidency. She is a strong woman, takes everything in, respectful and capable; everything ends up on her. The police were quite incapable, she seemed to be leading the way when clearly it should have been the other way. One of the girls slain was her best friend. She will not rest a moment to bring the murderer down.
Tina hales from Seattle and falls in love with Ruth. Each of these women encountering hard lives, in very different ways. The similarity is the worst of human nature and the way both girls have suffered, each of their back grounds full of things no women should have to suffer. These characters were both written well (as was Pamela), and their pathway to connection a lovely story. Finally both finding kinship and a sense of home. When Ruth is found murdered, Tina eventually makes her way to Pamela.
Pamela is pre law and Tina a counselor, specialising in a special kind of grief, one where the source of grief differs from the norm, most importantly where society does not recognise the sufferer as being worthy of grief, this was very interesting. There are so many issues in this book. These two women cross paths after the attack at the sorority house, their path to bringing a serial murder to justice through a dogged determination with their tenacity made for a rewarding story.
I loved the background of these three women, their relationships with men, the trouble women had in this time of the world (late 1970's), and the deep friendships formed to enable their investigations to go on. Each woman was fully fleshed out, their personalities, their loves and their troubles - which so often was exacerbated by troubling families of origin. Pamela's mother distant; my heart broke when Pamela was unable to reach her parents on the morning of the tragedy, simply because they couldn't be bothered answering the phone. Tina's marriage and early life also very hard to read about.
Ruth's mother and entire family were the epitomy of revulsion - this family was written remarkably well, so much intolerance, ignorance on display. A disintegration of a family clawing desperately to falsely display normalcy.
I felt I knew each woman quite intimately as each spoke, and Pamela and Tina's friendship very special.
This story was compelling, thought provoking and simply just a gripping read. I could not stop listening. I don't consider my lack of knowledge of the case to be an issue - it certainly piqued my curiosity but as a fictional story, I loved every minute. So much to love in relation to plot, imagery and most of all, amazing characters whom I got to know.
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library at 1.5 speed....more
Another comprehensive and educational book on this terrible historical event. I am learning so much. In this book the history of the relationship betwAnother comprehensive and educational book on this terrible historical event. I am learning so much. In this book the history of the relationship between those responsible and more of a timeline set up on Islam, the beliefs and the leaders behind this, and their way of reasoning is presented in this short and straight forward book. I decided to add a few portions that I found powerful.
Instead there were countless acts of selflessness and heroism in a city notorious for self-indulgence and hedonism, a city sometimes painted as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. In a typical scene that was played out for weeks across the Big Apple following the attacks, thousands lined up to give blood, so many that some had to be turned away.
However, there was one thing that all these extremists agreed on: They hated the power and influence of the West. And the main focus of this hatred was the United States. The militants also turned their fury on the governments of Muslim countries that they believed were not religious enough, or that were friendly toward the United States.
From Bin Laden: To kill Americans and their allies is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it.
On the Taliban: ..imposed a strict and old-fashioned version of Islamic law on the Afghan people – one in which televisions were forbidden and men were not allowed to trim their beards. The strictest rules applied to women. They could not go to school or take jobs and were forced to cover themselves from head to toe in long dark robes called burkas.
I did not realise the fires affecting the site raged for more than 100 days, which became the longest-lasting building fire in history. Which of course caused many workers to suffer life threatening lung damage.
Recommended and succinct reading to those interested in these world events. As always, this topic is very affecting, which always gives me cause to ponder. ...more
My job allows me access to such wonderful things. I have borrowed many books on this subject, from collections of photographs to those on the compensaMy job allows me access to such wonderful things. I have borrowed many books on this subject, from collections of photographs to those on the compensation to families and how to measure this, to books on DNA and the years of work that these professionals have put in. My interest is such that I've begun to recognise some names.
This book was compiled by Reuters with photographs from their employees that are all listed. This was published in 2003 and is therefore quite old, but of course still so relevant. I am very interested in this event.
It explains many things such as the continued threats and successful terrorist acts after the event. Being so far away and having children at this time I know my attention wasn't focused on world events, but now I am learning a great deal. The anthrax deaths, the 35 000 folk who had to have antibiotics to cover themselves from this. Again, there were deaths.
The 'Shoe Bomber' attempted to detonate a bomb mid flight where passengers were able to subdue and administer sedatives. Imagine being one of these everyday passengers facing this so close after 9/11? In April 2002 Milan was the location of an event where a small tourist plane crashed into a building injuring many and killing two women plus the pilot. Onlookers must have been stunned being so close to September, and the cause was never truly known. There have been many events.
It led me to learn about missionaries killed after 9/11 and the extreme security worldwide after the attacks. I still don't have a proper understanding of international politics, but this book told me a lot without being too overwhelming.
This book showed devastation in pictures, but equally as effecting were those of loved ones reuniting with military relatives and new life after the tragedy. So sad when a baby is born without a father. The picture I refer to showed a smiling mother and it's a testament that life does go on, though so much different to what 'should be'. This picture closed the book where mother and son reunited to support the soldiers from her husband's regiment.
Photos of Bono singing with the names of those fallen behind him in lights, again, led me to look up these everyday heroes (that would more than likely say they are not heroes) that died while working to support families, traveling, walking along a street on a normal sunny day. The rabbit hold of Google almost swept me away, I was reading about so many people involved.
Photos of soldiers training in Scotland, families meeting in Kabul. An American woman who lost her brother in the September 11 attack, meeting an Afghan family who lost relatives in a U.S. bombing in Afhganistan.
Last but not least, a reporter working in Afghanistan.. rediscovering a country the world had forgotten. Afghanistan's mind-numbing sorrow seemed easy to fix. If the west intervened decisively, swept away the front lines, reopened the trade routes and scattered the men with guns, then Mahmuda, hundreds of thouasnds of Mahmudas, would live.' She was a one year old with feet the size of a newborn. Father said to reporter could hardly feed her. He did not say it, but I saw he thought she would die. So did I. Two months later, I was back in Afghanistan covering the interim government's inauguration. I decided to pay a call on baby Mahmuda. The trip from the capital, impossible months before, was now just a few hours drive. The front line was gone, the trade route was open and the prices of flour and cooking oil had tumbled. Village merchants said they were selling more food than ever, which meant their neighbors had more to eat. We found the mud house in the field. Mahmuda's grandmother watched as she slept in a hammock. The child had gained weight. She would live.
This was the picture that made me stop and look and think the longest. After the mother holding her four-month-old son who would grow up without a father. She was smiling. This in turn gave me hope, even if it was more than twenty years ago....more
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