On October 2, 2006, 33-year-old Charlie Roberts, a married father of two, inexplicably committed one of the most heinous crimes in recent history. Without any apparent reason or explanation, he entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse in rural Pennsylvania, told the teacher and male students to leave the schoolhouse, then restrained and shot ten little girls from six to thirteen-years-old, before taking his own life. Five of the girls died, the rest were critically injured.
Forgiven is the remarkable story of the shooter’s mother, Terri Roberts. Within hours of the senseless violence and heartbreaking tragedy, the Amish community, who had lost so much, reached out to the shooter’s widow and parents in an amazing spirit of concern, love and forgiveness.
In the book, Terri Roberts recounts the tragic event that her son perpetrated, but also the ongoing love, care and lasting friendship that came as the result of a conscious choice on the part of the Amish community and the Roberts family. It is a riveting and compelling story that made me want to read and read until I had finished the book.
While the parts of the book concern a violent and despicable crime, Roberts does not given unsettling details or dwell on specifics of the tragedy. It is however, the story of an unthinkable act of murder and its aftermath and parts of the book may be troubling to young teens and pre-teens.
Roberts also talks about the part that faith played in the grace and forgiveness offered and accepted after what the Amish refer to as “the happening.” It is a story that strengthened my faith, and made me want to offer grace and forgiveness and strive to be more Christian in thought and deed. This is a book I will keep in my library and read again. I highly recommend it and give it five stars out of five stars.
Full disclosure: Bethany House Publishers provided a free copy of the book for my review, but the honest review and opinion are my own.
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