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Edited on Fri Dec-05-08 05:40 PM by RamboLiberal
The story of this tragic Chicago school fire has always fascinated me. Perhaps it is because at the time of the fire I was a little kid in Catholic school in an old school building w/o adequate fire escapes in Pittsburgh, PA area. Very quickly after that tragedy, our school put up a fancy enclosed fire escape tower with steel doors leading in to the cloak rooms. I remember the sisters telling us brief stories of how the children died at their desks saying the rosary. I always wanted to know more. The story was well told in an earlier book To Sleep with the Angels by the author of this book which is the 50th anniversary of fire. Ironicall it was a few days ago, December 1st. Also ironically the co-author, David Cowan, of To Sleep with the Angels ended up being convicted of arson. Guess he was really fascinated with fires and firefighting. I've ordered this book and look forward to reading it.
From Amazon.com
Review
"In the aftermath of the Our Lady of the Angels School fire of December 1, 1958, many survivors and their families were told to forget the tragedy and go about their lives. No grief counselors in those days. Now John Kuenster, to mark the 50th anniversary of this tragedy, has followed up his earlier masterpiece investigation of the fire, To Sleep with the Angels, with a new volume of remarkable eyewitness recollections. No one who reads this book will ever forget what happened that bright, cold, tragic day fifty years ago. This book honors not only those who died and were seriously injured, but it will save lives in the future. An unforgettable read." --John Callaway, WTTW, Chicago Public Television
Review
"Remembrances of the Angels is a heartbreaking, sobering reflection on life and loss, faith and hope. Even fifty years after the disaster, we remain in shock and pain at the terrible loss of life at Our Lady of the Angels. Each reflection in this book gives the reader a fresh piece of truth. Anguished parents and young school-age victims of the blaze recall a moment in time never to be forgotten. Chicago Tribune reporter Bob Wiedrich presents a view almost too horrible to read. It is my prayer that the mercy of God continue to strengthen all those who survived."
Product Description
On a terrible day in December 1958, one of the deadliest fires in American history took the lives of ninety-two children and three nuns at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago. The tragedy shocked the nation, tore apart a community with grief and anger, left many families physically and psychologically scarred for life, and prompted a mystery unresolved to this day. It also led to a complete overhaul of fire safety standards for American schools. The story of that fire was eloquently told ten years ago by John Kuenster and David Cowan in their best-selling book To Sleep with the Angels. Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the fire, John Kuenster returns to talk with firemen, parents, children, reporters, clergy, school administrators, and others who were in some way connected with the disaster. Together their thoughts and feelings about their experience, still vivid and tender after a half-century, make Remembrances of the Angels a moving and often tearful book.
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