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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Truly Unforgettable Tale..., April 4, 2001
This review is from: Tears of Rage (Mass Market Paperback)
As a loyal fan of "America's Most Wanted" and a person who cares about children, I had to read this book. I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive about the contents when I first picked it up. I had heard about the Adam Walsh case prior to reading about it, so I knew how terrible his abduction and murder was. For this reason, I was afraid that I might come across some details that would be so graphic that I'd get discouraged. It's kind of like knowing about an incident that is so bad that you almost do not want the details. But John Walsh's book was informative, compassionate, and just plain well-written. It was not overly gory or negative. In fact, I had a hard time putting this book down. In this book, John Walsh was not merely an author recounting the events of a true and terrible crime. He was a human; a caring, grieving, and determined father who was pouring his heart out to you. Strange as this may sound, I felt his presence in the room when I was reading it. It was as though he was actually sitting across from me, talking to me. He told me his heartwrenching, yet inspiring story. His story held my full attention. Hearing about what happened to Adam and the terrible injustice that John and his wife faced brought tears to my eyes. It angered me. And it changed my outlook on life. I developed a whole new way of thinking. I learned that though I may not have always thought so, crime can happen to me. I do need to be aware. I learned that even though I deeply sympathize with the Walsh family, I will never truly know of their pain and other feelings because I have never actually walked in their shoes. It is only when you are a parent and your worst nightmare has come true that you can truly understand those feelings of anguish. Their story reminded me that we never know what we really have until it is gone. That's why it is important to be thankful for what you have. The Walsh family seems to really be trying to emphasize that: If you have children, realize that you hold a bond for each other that cannot be duplicated. Love those children with all your heart. Accept each of them as they are. Teach them as much about the world as you can. Give them everything you've got. And be careful. Be aware. Because you might wake up early one morning, and like John Walsh, kiss your child good-bye, go off to work (or somewhere else), and never see him or her again. Or like Adam's mother, you may go out with your child to do an errand and discover that your day has taken a terrible, unexpected twist. I will continue to watch "America's Most Wanted" until the show ends for good. I will also continue to pray at night for the security and safety of our children. I have started John Walsh's second book, "No Mercy". Though I have yet to finish it, reading it always leaves me on the edge of my seat! The Walsh family's caring and dedicated efforts are indeed an inspiration. Their work is making a difference in the lives of many. And I know in my heart that some day the Walsh's 3 children (1 daughter and 2 sons, all born after Adam's death)will follow in their parents' footsteps. They will succeed, and stand up for their beliefs. They will always be appreciated. And because they were raised in such a loving environment, they will find only happiness, courage, and strength. They will make wise choices. And have a world of wisdom and inspiration to share with their children and grandchildren. Each day they will be able to thank their wonderful parents- who started it all.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!, October 20, 2002
This review is from: Tears of Rage (Mass Market Paperback)
This book truly amazed me. I read it because I was bored over the Summer (I'm 13), and I picked it up because I saw a kid on hte cover. "the kid" turned out to be six-year-old Adam Walsh, a murdered child in 1981. Mr. Walsh amazed me with his style of writing, it captured me in and I felt as if it was 1981 and I was re-living the Walsh case even though I wasn't alive to actually live it in the first place. It's nice to know someone used his grief for good, instead of taking it out on the rest of his family or someone else, or killing himself. John Walsh fought for other children's rights as his son's case remained unsolved, when most people would dwell on the case related to him. It's also scary to know that that beautiful boy would be murdered...What about me and my loud, middle-school friends? If someone could snatch a sweet littel boy what would they do with kids wild? I've read this book three times, and each time I get more emotional at the emotions John portrays as he begins to realize what has happened to him and Rieve', and especially to Adam.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book I've read in years., June 29, 2004
I'm not really a fan of John Walsh (I've probably only watched America's Most Wanted 5 times in it's entire run), but when I was stuck on a 12 hour trip with nothing to read but this book, it was pretty hard to pass up. I think I made the right decision in picking it up because it really is a good read. While this book does in fact tell about John Walsh, it's much more than that. The first couple of chapters are pretty average, telling about the life of John and his wife, about the things his son, Adam, would do, and everything else that describes the Walsh family. "Book Two" goes into great detail how Adam was kidnapped, the long and exhausting search, and more. The book really does a good job in describing the unbearable pain that the Walsh family was feeling, and how the local police seemed to not show very much interest in the case. The part of the book that I find most interesting/disturbing is after John starts hosting America's Most Wanted and we learn about some of the very sick individuals that AMW (thankfully) captured. Overall, I think this is an excellent book and would recommend it to everyone, including those who aren't fans of John Walsh. This book really teaches you the value of life and how we can take so much for granted.
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