Choosing Hope
The True Story Of The Teacher Who Saved The Lives Of Her Children At Sandy Hook Elementary School
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
'. . . dramatically conveys how swiftly an 'ordinary' life can change, but also probes the depth of the struggle to rise from despair to hope.' - Publishers Weekly
Kaitlin Roig-Debellis is the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who saved her entire class of fifteen six- and-seven-year-olds from the tragic events that took place on December 14, 2012, by piling them into a tiny bathroom within her classroom, mere feet from the brutal massacre taking place outside the door. Since then, despite the unimaginably painful experiences she endured, she has chosen to share her experience with others, in the hope that they too can find light in dark moments.
Choosing Hope is many things. A written witness to a tragedy that will never be forgotten. A gripping firsthand testament to the power of good over the power of destruction. An inspirational memoir by a brave young woman whose story is one of courage, heroism, faith, and resilience. And a celebration of all the people who make the choice to pass along their hope and positivity to young ones-parents, mentors, and especially teachers. There is no moving on, but there is always moving forward. And how we move forward is a choice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When a gunman stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., killing 26 people including 20 children in 2012, teacher Roig-Debellis swiftly herded her 15 first-graders into a cramped bathroom, where they sat in quiet terror for 45 minutes until rescue arrived. In this memoir, Roig-Debellis, writing with Fisher, recounts that tragic day. The author shares details of her past as an adopted child raised in a loving middle-class family in a Connecticut town. Early on, she knew her career goal; inspired by her fifth-grade teacher, she vowed to become a "dedicated educator, a counselor, a mentor, and a life guide." Little did she know how literally that wish would manifest (readers are forewarned that they may wish to skip a portion of the "My Darkest Hour" section, though the retelling is handled with great care). Following the tragedy, Roig-Debellis advocates for her students, insisting upon an extended delay in return to school. Eventually classes resume in a different location, but the author's pleas for extra safety measures for her traumatized students are ultimately denied. Not to be deterred from her mission to help others, Roig-Debellis initiates Classes 4 Classes, an online nonprofit that enables kids to help other kids. The memoir not only dramatically conveys how swiftly an "ordinary" life can change, but also probes the depth of the struggle to rise from despair to hope.
