I feel a little guilty saying this, but I was disappointed by "The Ride: A Shocking Murder and a Bereaved Father's Journey from Rage to Redemption."
Written by Boston Globe reporter Brian MacQuarrie, The Ride is the true story of the murder of 10-year-old Jeffrey Curley and how his father found healing.

I thought MacQuarrie did a terrific job penning the crime portion of the book. He delivers just enough detail to impress upon the reader the horror of the killing and its immediate aftermath without being gratutitous.
My heart broke for Jeffrey and those he left behind.
I shared his father's rage and desire to see those who had murdered his son executed.
Bob Curley's journey takes him in the opposite direction; he is today an outspoken critic of the death penalty.
I didn't understand the transformation.
His meeting of folks in similar circumstances who had found a measure of peace without craving that ultimate punishment didn't seem enough to have caused such a change. I hoped for more insight into Curley's thought process.

Watch Bob Curley and Brian MacQuarries discuss the work on NECN.com.


How does one find the strength to move on? What kind of soul-searching goes into letting go of such understandable rage? Can you ever be truly happy again?
Perhaps it's just the nature of third-person versus first-person story-telling.
The Ride did remind me that until you've walked a mile in these folks' shoes - and God knows, none of us wants to do that - it's impossible to fathom.
All those left behind in the wake of such senseless crimes are coping the best way they know how.

Connect with The Ride on Facebook.

- Tricia Ambrose