Find the Helpers by Fred Guttenberg was given a glowing review by MBR: Bookwatch- read the review here.
Find the Helpers
Fred Guttenberg
Mango Publishing
9781642505351, $19.95, HC, 198pp
https://www.amazon.com/Find-Helpers-Parkland-Recovery-Purpose/dp/1642505358
Synopsis; Fred Guttenberg loved watching Mr. Rogers with his daughter and son when they were little. Their favorite wisdom was: In the midst of tragedy and catastrophe, find the helpers.
“Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers. Because if you look for the helpers, you’ll know there’s hope.” – Fred Rogers, 1999
Life changed forever on Valentine’s Day 2018. What was to be a family day celebrating love turned into a nightmare. Thirty-four people were shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Jaime Guttenberg, a fourteen-year-old with a huge heart, was the second to last victim.
That she and so many of her fellow students were struck down in cold blood galvanized many to action, including Jaime’s father Fred who has become an activist dedicated to passing common sense gun safety legislation.
Fred was already struggling with deep personal loss. Four months earlier his brother Michael died of 9/11 induced pancreatic cancer. He had been exposed to too much dust and chemicals at Ground Zero. Michael battled heroically for nearly five years and then died at age fifty.
“Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope” is not about gun safety or Parkland. Instead, it tells the story of Fred Guttenberg’s journey since Jaime’s death and how he has been able to get through the worst of times thanks to the kindness and compassion of others.
Good things happen to good people at the hands of other good people?and the world is filled with them. They include everyone from amazing gun violence survivors Fred has met around the country to former VP Joe Biden, who spent time talking to him about finding mission and purpose in learning to grieve.
Critique: An emotionally inspiring read from first page to last, “Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope” is an extraordinary, timely and timeless read — especially for anyone having to deal with senseless loss in this time of pandemic, economic collapse, social unrest, political polarization, and the rise of armed white supremacists.
Fred Rogers would be proud of what Fred Guttenberg has written for the benefit of us all. Simply stated, “Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope” should be a part of every highschool, community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that “Find the Helpers” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Find The Helpers
What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope
Life changed forever on Valentine’s Day 2018. What was to be a family day celebrating love turned into a nightmare. Thirty-four people were shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Jaime Guttenberg, a fourteen-year-old with a huge heart, was the second to last victim. That she and so many of her fellow students were struck down in cold blood galvanized many to action, including Jaime’s father Fred who has become an activist dedicated to passing common sense gun safety legislation.
Fred was already struggling with deep personal loss. Four months earlier his brother Michael died of 9/11 induced pancreatic cancer. He had been exposed to so much dust and chemicals at Ground Zero, the damage caught up with him. Michael battled heroically for nearly five years and then died at age fifty.