“Lysiak’s examination of our burgeoning mental-health crisis, and how poorly equipped our health care system is to handle the needs of those who suffer from mental health issues,[is] something of a welcome surprise.”
Newtown
An American Tragedy
Description
A definitive work of true crime journalism, this meticulously reported account examines the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and the unresolved questions that continue to shape America’s debate over gun violence and mental health.
On December 14, 2012, the world was shaken by the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty children and six educators were murdered in a place meant to be safe. The nation remembers the numbers, the names—including teacher Victoria Soto, who died protecting her students—and the shooter, Adam Lanza. What quickly faded, however, was a clear understanding of how the tragedy unfolded and why.
Drawing on previously undisclosed emails, police reports, and extensive interviews, this book presents the most comprehensive journalistic account of Newtown and its aftermath. It traces the complex web of mental health issues, warning signs, institutional failures, and public misinformation that preceded the attack, while also examining the political, cultural, and emotional fallout that followed.
Clear-eyed, compassionate, and unflinching, this book cuts through speculation and conspiracy to document what truly happened—and why confronting those facts remains essential if future tragedies are to be prevented.
Reviews
“Packed with beautiful vignettes about the victims and some remarkably intimate details.”
“The real message of Newtown is clear: it is up to America and each and every American to decide whether or not this is going to happen again.”
“Lysiak’s descriptions are spare and chilling but in no way gratuitous.”
