Wally Lamb

When high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, while Caelum is away, Maureen finds herself in the library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed. Miraculously, she survives, but at a cost: she is unable to recover from the trauma. When Caelum and Maureen flee to an illusion of safety on the Quirk family's Connecticut farm, they discover that the effects of chaos are not easily put right, and further tragedy ensues.

A Novel

The Hour I First Believed

Peggy Walker

Wow. So much more than I was expecting!

When I started reading the book, I was intrigued because it seemed to be a novel about Columbine and it's aftermath. I was so surprised as those descriptions were drawing to a close, that I was only 30% finished. The journey through the past with the use of letters and diaries was done seamlessly. The book was filled with strong women, where most of the men had weaknesses. Some of the characters were fully realized and vivid, where others just seemed like clutter in the story. Still, a fascinating and satisfying read. Highly recommended.

a novel

The hour I first believed

Hunter Sloan

Jennifer Dieter

I feel that he could have written this book in 300 pages and had a really solid novel. Instead it takes all sorts of unnecessary twists and turns, and I ultimately just felt emotionally exhausted and sad at the end. Started out to be a promising novel that I was excited to read and ended a novel that was hard to pick up and just finish.

Deborah Baker

Wally Lamb is one of my favorite authors. Well written, dramatic, interesting. The story holds you.

Brishti Basu

Megan Gardner

Lindy

Moxie Minion

Melissa M.

The Rabid Geek

sof <3

Nicole

Christi Craig

Kevin. j Mercil 

Jaymie Lemke

Heather 

Kathy Rodger 

Cindy

Ariana

Polly Boardman

Jennifer Long

Trish 

Kaylin

When 47-year old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April, 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously, she survives, but at a cost; she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues.

Lisa Miller

The Hour I First Believed A Novel

Reviews