The Happening - Nickel Mines School Tragedy
by Harvey Yoder
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Book Summary Information
Author: Harvey YoderEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-15
ISBN: 1885270704
Number of pages: 173
Publisher: TGS International
Book Reviews of The Happening - Nickel Mines School Tragedy
Book Review: A first-person tear-jerker narrative
Summary: 5 Stars
Of the books available about the Amish school shooting, each of the four (presently available) offer a different angle.
"Amish Grace" was written by three from academia, and the book focuses more on the social phenomenon of forgiveness. Reviewers have well summed up the good and the deficiencies of the book, and I'll add, regarding the title, that the Amish will not attribute "grace" to themselves but to "God's Grace." In academia, forgiveness may be seen as more a process of socialization.
"Forgiveness: A Legacy of the West Nickel Mines Amish School" offers the historical and theological answer to how the Amish can forgive, but less specificity about the shooting. John L. Ruth is a prominent historian, having written a coffee-table volume of Lancaster County's history.
"Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond" I have not read, but other reviews are available on this book's page.
"The Happening--Nickel Mines School Tragedy" was the first book to be released, just days before "Amish Grace."
Like Amish Grace, a few more stylistic revisions would have gone a long ways, but both were racing to be published before the events fadded from public memory. "The Happening" fairs well in conciseness and flow, but the style is difficult to get into. An example sentence when I opened a page at random: "The hard lump inside me seemed to grow again." A little bland (The hard lump...), a little wordy (...inside me seemed...). But once you're pulled into the story, it's easy to forget these little potholes in the path.
Yes, the book elicited the expected emotion from me. I read it in one sitting, which is easy to do in two or three hours. It is told in first person from the perspective of a hypothetical girl, which is actually a fushion of several of the girls' stories. This method protects individual privacy. With a little background, the story line goes straight into the shooting. For the remaining 75% of the book, it details the psychological struggles faced by the protagonist. There is no emotional relef for the reader during this portion either, but slowly you feel the healing and forgiveness.
Research methods: Harvey Yoder, first of all, is a conservative Anabaptist, though not with the Amish branch. His theology, therefore, most closely resonates with the Amish view in comparison to the three other books. This book was written primarily for a conservative Anabaptist audience, and it treats you like an insider. From what I understand, Yoder interviewed members of the Amish community and families that were close to or involved in the incident. From these stories, he weaved them together and composed this book. Therefore, historic accuracy in the physical sense is not consistent, but accuracy in the metaphysical sense is rich and full.
About the publisher: Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) is a relif organization of the conservative Anabaptists. The Amish are one of the denominational branches that supports CAM in relief and reconstruction projects in the US and around the world. As of 2010, among many other projects around the world, CAM continues to help in rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, is assisting in rebuilding after earthquakes in Indonesia and Haiti, and provides microenterprise loans to rural people in eastern Europe. It has one of the highest rates of donations actually going directly to causes (opposed to administration and salaries). Thus, the profits from this book go to the relief organization of the Amish and cousin groups.
For the leisure reader interested in an emotional response to the Amish school shooting, this is the book to get. Recommended!
Summary of The Happening - Nickel Mines School Tragedy
It was just another Monday morning, albeit an exceptionally lovely one. The people of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, went about their daily lives, tending their farms and heading off to work or school. Only one man had any idea of what this particular Monday would hold. One man... and the God in whom he no longer believed.Certainly Rebecca Sue* did not know. She walked to school with her sister as she did every day, never suspecting that, within hours, a world that had never heard of Nickel Mines would be talking of little else.
In the days and months that followed, Rebecca Sue, her family, and her community struggled to come to grips with the tragic events of that morning. The happening had left six dead, five wounded, and thousands shocked and grieving. Somehow they had to find peace, and forgive the man who had caused their grief.
But how?
Only by the grace of God.
*The author chose to tell this story, based on a true event, through the eyes of a fictitious character, Rebecca Sue. She is a compilation of the survivors of the shooting.
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