Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery and a Father's Forgiveness |
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List Price: $22.99
Our Price: $15.63
Your Save: $ 7.36 ( 32% )
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Manufacturer: Howard Books
Average Customer Rating:   
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 248.86092
EAN: 9781416578130
ISBN: 1416578137
Label: Howard Books
Manufacturer: Howard Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: 2008-09-23
Publisher: Howard Books
Studio: Howard Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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This is the tragic story of Kent Whitaker's heart-wrenching journey toward forgiveness and faith after the brutal murder of his wife and one of his sons. Straight from the headlines comes an incredible true story of a son's treachery. For the first time, readers are offered inside access to the emotional drama that went on behind the scenes. At the core is the remarkable healing power of forgiveness, demonstrated by Kent Whitaker, which shows how the survivors of such atrocious events can still forgive those who have permanently damaged their lives. One evening, the Whitaker family returned home after dinner, celebrating a son's impending graduation from college. On opening the front door, they faced a gunman lying in wait. The gunman opened fire, instantly killing the younger sonand Kent's wife, leaving Kent and his older son lying wounded until police and ambulances arrived. While recovering in the hospital, Kent resolved in his heart to forgive whoever was responsible for the deaths of his wife and son. Over the next few weeks, it was discovered that the whole murder plot had been orchestrated by the surviving son -- whom Kent had unknowingly forgiven. After a trial that resulted in a death sentence for his son, Kent emerged from this harrowing ordeal to share their astonishing journey toward forgiveness and redemption.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Self absorbed cliche all over again
Comment: I agree with some of the previous reviews here. I happened to pick up this book at a bookstore and sat down to skim through it one day. It is quite a puzzling read, as it seems there is much information left out that you would think must be part of the big picture. There were excuses and lack of thorough explanation as to how Bart's parents could have missed all the clues. I did watch the Kent Whitaker interview on Oprah...and was almost relieved when reading the comments on her website after the show. It seems many, many people could read between the lines as well. In my opinion, the book Kent Whitaker has written is actually a stale cliche, very prominent in the religious circles I'm assuming he moves in. Generally,these people think they are "christians"...but they are part of an almost cultic sub-culture that has little to do with real Christianity. Who knows, his original experience of instant "forgiveness" in the hospital could have been simply another form of denial.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Total waste of time and money
Comment: This book was not worth what I paid for it. I found it to be self-serving and very "preachy." I am incredulous that Mr. and the late Mrs. Whitaker didn't see that their son had serious problems - sounds like lack of attention to family dynamics to me. He would have been better served to keep his faith and religious beliefs out of his book. His son, like a whole lot of other convicts, is in the position of a thief who is not at all sorry he stole but terribly sorry he got caught. Here's hoping he's kept in prison where he belongs for the rest of his life. I found nothing "Incredible" at all about this story.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I recommend this book
Comment: I found this book fascinating. I had watched this story on "48 Hours" and on "Oprah" and was interested in the forgiveness this father had for the son that murdered the rest of the family. I must say that while I find his forgiveness amazing, I am not convinced of his son's repentance but, then again, I don't have to be. I felt bad for the father, but do think the son got what he deserved especially since the murder was his third attempt to kill his family. If his friend had been a better shot, the father wouldn't be here to tell his story either. I was also appalled that the son didn't seem to have any problem finding morally corrupt people to help him. I think they all should have gotten the death penalty, although the son was the worst since it was his family that he should have wanted to protect--it was the ultimate betrayal. I hope the father finds peace in this life and I think he will if he hasn't already thanks to his deep faith. I was happy to hear the treatment that the son receives in prison--I think that's what all prisons should be like. I don't feel bad for the son at all. I think he had to be a sociopath to do this. I don't buy the "poor me, I didn't like myself but now I am better" defense at all. My sympathies go the victims not the murderer.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Cry, the Beloved Country
Comment: Murder By Family, published by Howard Books, the north star of unpublished fundamentalists everywhere, tells the story of Bart Whitaker, currently languishing on Death Row in Texas, as told through the eyes of the father he failed to successfully murder. The book takes some stomach to get through, both for the rather unsavoury subject matter, but especially for the sanctimonious writing style of its author. What is unmistakable from the outset is that Kent Whitaker is a man for whom religious dogma has so comprehensively eclipsed common sense, that he believes any and all actions by mankind, no matter how perverse or extraneous, may be ascribed to the grand plan of some higher power. Oh dear!
From this it is compelling to conclude that the far, far more interesting story would be that as told by Bart. One can't help but wonder at the consequences of growing up in so stultifying an atmosphere as that represented by the sort of fundamentalist Christian gibberish so perfectly exemplified by the head of this Texan family of dogmatic zealots.
Time and time again, the reader has his nose tediously rubbed into Mr. Whitaker's interpretation of the Bible, and it becomes appallingly clear that he sees himself in the role of a latter-day King David, apropos the errant son Absalom. Only when young Bart is judicially murdered by the State of Texas for his wickedness, an outcome that seems increasingly likely, will Kent be able to "weep the bitter tears" he writes of so admiringly, and draw "closure", that most hollow of American outcomes, from a grisly crime of unknown motivation.
For its intended market, Murder By Family examines, albeit shallowly, the fact of forgiveness despite, or rather because of, an act of dreadful filial treachery. It is, in truth, a very poorly written book indeed, lacking is soul, depth and meaning. Rather like life used to be in the Whitaker household, one wonders.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Who are these people?
Comment: I have just finished the book and yet have absolutely no idea who these people are. What was their family life like? Why did Bart carry enough hate to murder his mother and brother? I still know so little about the wife and mother? Bart's brother Kevin.
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