True Tragedy

In 2001, John J. Lennon killed a man on a Brooklyn Street. Now he’s a journalist, working from behind bars, trying to make sense of it all. The Tragedy of True Crime is a first-person journalistic account of the lives of four men who have killed, written by a man who has killed. Lennon entered...

In this compelling account, eminent literary critic Terry Eagleton explores the nuances of tragedy in Western culture-from literature and politics to philosophy and theater. Eagleton examines the political nature of tragedy, looking closely at its connection with periods of historical transition. The dramatic form originated not as a meditation on the human condition, but at moments of political engagement, when civilizations struggled with the conflicts that beset them. Tragedy, Eagleton demonstrates, is fundamental to human experience and culture.

An American Tragedy is the story of Clyde Griffiths, who spends his life in the desperate pursuit of success. On a deeper, more profound level, it is the masterful portrayal of the society whose values both shape Clyde's ambitions and seal his fate; it is an unsurpassed depiction of the harsh realities of American life and of the dark side of the American dream.

The 911 call was harrowing. “I accidentally killed someone. Please!” the man said, his voice rising. “Who?” “My stepmom. My name is Ian Anselmo. Sue-Ellen Anselmo, she’s in the car with me. My dad is going to kill me. I guess I strangled her. I don’t remember doing it. I remember the argument.” The call disintegrated quickly, with the 20-year-old howling and sobbing so pitifully that the dispatcher could not understand what he was saying, except that he was calling from a cemetery.

The tragic story of the murders of three women committed over three decades by one cold-blooded man in Maine's North Woods. Jennie Cyr disappeared in 1977. Jerilyn Towers vanished in 1982. Lynn Willette never came home on a night in 1994. Each woman had a relationship with James Hicks, who in 2000 confessed to murdering them, dismembering their bodies, and burying the remains alongside rural roads in Aroostook County. This is their story.

This story follows a true crime murder case from New York in 1906. Clyde Griffiths is the impoverished young man from a family of street preachers who dreams of bettering his station in life. However, his dream ends in murder and he is subsequently arrested and put on trial—putting the media in a frenzy.

See how beauty can come after heartbreak and suffering when you allow God to wipe away your tears. "Whatever you are feeling, God can handle it--all of it. The tears, screams, and questions. God invites you to let Him tend to your heart." In the bluegrass fields of Kentucky, Anne Wilson and her...

On November 29, 1909, police were called to a ramshackle home in East Orange, New Jersey, where they found the emaciated body of 24-year-old Oceana "Ocey" Snead facedown in the bathtub - dead of an apparent suicide by drowning. There was even a note left behind. But it would not take authorities long to discover that Ocey's death was no suicide. And Ocey's own mother and two aunts were far from the sorrowful caretakers they appeared to be.

Hermosa Beach, California, in the mid-1960s. Sun, surf, and sand castles along The Strand to a soundtrack of “Fun, Fun, Fun.” But the hang-loose life of the locals was soon being drowned out—by a social storm able to turn even the most perfect wave into a brutal riptide. How do you go from planning vacations and evaluating investments to planning prison visits and evaluating defense pleas? How do you watch your surfer-champion sons turn into drug lords? Inmates? How do you watch your entire family die, one by one? Yet never stop fighting. It takes a rare and special person: Karl McMillen.

One of the most notorious murders in US history, the 1892 killing of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, officially remains an unsolved case. Although Lizzie Borden was charged with the axe murders of her father and stepmother, the jury found her not guilty. No one else was ever charged. Edwin H. Porter was a young police reporter for the Fall River Daily Globe who covered the crime. Beginning with the discovery of the bodies, all the way through the investigation, trial, and final verdict, Porter gives a detailed account with first-hand access to the crime scene.

In September 2011, Erik Weissman and two friends were murdered in a brutal triple homicide in Waltham, Massachusetts. The case went unsolved for months and then years, with no discernible leads. Erik’s friend Susan Zalkind, an investigative journalist, needed closure and knew that finding it would be up to her. As Susan began digging, and as the Boston Marathon bombing exposed startling new leads, the case led her down a tangled and sometimes dangerous path to the truth.

Ray Norman spent most of his life living in far-flung corners of the globe, working on long-term development projects and living out his calling as a Christian professional. By the time he arrived in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania around the turn of the millennium, he was veteran of life as...

In November 2004, Lora Jones was a happy wife and proud mother of two beautiful children. Lora and her family left for a family vacation, excited to celebrate the holidays, but sounds of music and laughter in their van were shattered by a head-on collision. Lora watched helplessly as, one-by-one, her beloved family slipped into eternity. Awake in a nightmare, all traces of laughter were replaced by the mournful cries of a wounded heart. How in the world could Lora go on alone? Song of a Wounded Heart tells the true story of Lora’s journey from death to hope.

In this inspiring and important memoir, a repairman turned safety expert shares his wisdom on tackling simple—and dangerous—jobs in the safest ways possible. Accidents happen, but they're usually the result of human carelessness. Charlie Morecraft found that out one August night years ago...

Do your big dreams always seem just out of reach? Does it feel like the universe is against you, plotting your downfall? Life indeed knows how to throw punches: unexpected challenges, barriers at every turn, and uphill battles that seem endless. And it’s pretty easy to feel defeated, to believe that maybe it’s not meant to be. But what if there's a secret to help you break through those barriers? It's called being Pig-Headedly Determined (PhD), and it's not just about stubbornness. It's about turning those “No way, not happening” moments into defiant “Watch me” victories.

This is the true story of Ora-Jay and Irene Eash, Amish farmers from northwest Montana whose lives changed in an instant when a semi-truck struck the family buggy, killing their two young daughters. After the accident, the couple turned to their Amish community for comfort, but they remained...

In a surprising and shocking narrative, one woman tells the astonishing true story of her mysterious ailment, two harrowing nights in Mexico, and the life-altering experience that would change her life forever. An unbelievable story that nearly cost a vibrant, vital young woman her life, Carry Me Home is an exploration of radical trust and relinquishing control. A profoundly compelling tale of survival. What happens when a control freak loses control? Either faith steps in, or fear overcomes.

This book is based on a journey within the depths of Selira's soul. Journey From Midnight is a compelling and extraordinary true account of a young girl adapting into the life of adulthood while dealing with the streets and all the snares and setbacks along the way. Get a first-hand look into the life of a former runaway. In an attempt to escape abuse, Selira V. Samanne set out into the world alone at age 11, only to find herself lost on a lonesome road while trying to find her way to a better place and to herself as well.

With thousands of men off fighting in the Civil War, the government hired women and girls - some as young as 10 - to make millions of rounds of ammunition. Poor immigrant girls and widows paid the price for carelessness at three major arsenals. Many of these workers were killed, blown up and burned beyond recognition.

In the Civil War, the government hired women and girls - some as young as nine - to make millions of rounds of ammunition. They worked 72-hour weeks with little training. Poor immigrant girls and widows paid the price for carelessness at three major arsenals. Many of these workers were killed, blown up, and burned beyond recognition. Gunpowder Girls is a story of child labor and immigrant hopes and the cruel, endless demands of an all-consuming war. A Junior Library Guild selection.