Overview

A tragedy and a trial placed Ann-Janine Morey in an ideal position to write this wrenching exploration of the havoc wreaked on a family by Shaken Baby Syndrome. As an alternate juror in a 1995 murder trial in Murphysboro, Illinois, she observed a case that has become too common: that of an adult caregiver shaking to death a baby. A seasoned researcher and published scholar, in this book Morey witnesses the court proceedings firsthand, comes to know the families of the toddler intimately, and augments her observations and interviews through research into Shaken Baby Syndrome. The result is an agonizingly human tale supported by the evidence of science, sociology, and criminology. Morey's What Happened to Christopher memorializes the short life of nineteen-month-old Christopher Attig (1992­-1994). To reveal what Christopher meant to those closest to him, Morey conducts extensive interviews with the child's parents and grand-parents. She also interviews the officials involved in the case to set the scene from a legal and police angle. Gary Lynn Gould, who was convicted of and imprisoned for killing Christopher, did not answer Morey's requests for interviews. Morey characterizes her investigation as a ""story of quiet horror because it takes place in a way and a setting that could be any town and many families."" Nonetheless, Morey's narrative skill transforms Christopher into much more than an ordinary child, senselessly slain. He is Christopher, irreplaceable and unique. And by the time she reconstructs Christopher's final days and the aftermath of his murder, Morey has depicted the principals in the case so deftly and imbued them with such humanity that we experience their torment and their hope. Morey also provides a juror's insight into the trial. By showing what happened to Christopher Attig and by presenting the accumulated findings relative to Shaken Baby Syndrome, she seeks through education to help prevent future deaths like Christopher's.

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9780809322152

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Reviews

Morey has written a powerfully touching story of the tragedy of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A child is needlessly killed and his family's pains and regrets are vividly presented. This book details the events leading up to SBS and will serve as a valuable resource for the prevention of such tragedies. I recommend it to all parents and caregivers. --Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children's Center <br>

Morey has written a powerfully touching story of the tragedy of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A child is needlessly killed and his family's pains and regrets are vividly presented. This book details the events leading up to SBS and will serve as a valuable resource for the prevention of such tragedies. I recommend it to all parents and caregivers. Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children's Center What Happened to Christopher offers a unique approach to educating people about Shaken Baby Syndrome by engaging the reader in all the lives of those affected by this tragic abuse. The story is captivating and meaningful. Every parent should read it. Marilyn Sandberg, Executive Director, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Ogden, Utah Morey has written a powerfully touching story of the tragedy of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A child is needlessly killed and his family's pains and regrets are vividly presented. This book details the events leading up to SBS and will serve as a valuable resource for the prevention of such tragedies. I recommend it to all parents and caregivers. --Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children's Center What Happened to Christopher offers a unique approach to educating people about Shaken Baby Syndrome by engaging the reader in all the lives of those affected by this tragic abuse. The story is captivating and meaningful. Every parent should read it. --Marilyn Sandberg, Executive Director, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Ogden, Utah

Author Information

Ann-Janine Morey is a professor of English at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is the author of Apples and Ashes: Culture, Metaphor and Morality in the American Dream and Religion and Sexuality in American Literature

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