A Shocking Murder and a Bereaved Father's Journey from Rage to Redemption
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The Ride tells the true story of one of the most gruesome crimes in recent memory—the 1997 abduction and murder of ten-year-old Massachusetts resident Jeffrey Curley—and how his father, Bob Curley, managed to heal the deep wounds of rage and emerge to become an outspoken critic of the death penalty. In vivid, compelling prose, Boston Globe reporter Brian MacQuarrie recounts the brutal crime that shocked New England and chronicles what transpires after Jeffrey’s death, which is nearly as shocking as the crime itself. At the heart of this deeply touching story is the way Bob Curley summons the almost superhuman courage to reject the death penalty. In tracing his personal journey, The Ride presents an appealing everyman hero forced into the spotlight by unfathomable circumstances, and compelled to confront the consequences of his fury.
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A moderately interesting window into the singularly devastating tragedy one family endures, and a father's ethical journey. I picked this up because Sister Helen Prejan, of Dead Man Walking fame, contributed a blurb to the galley copy. The first few chapters deal with the crime, the investigation, and the trial; the rest of the book is devoted to father Bob Curley's soul-searching experience with the media and political arenas, first as a staunch proponent of the death penalty, progressing into a strong opponent of the death penalty. Very personal, not very informative statistically or legally (although the political jockeying is interesting, if not overly familiar).