by Judy Shepard
First published 2009
Judy Shepard tells the story of her son Matthew's brutal murder in 1998 and her transformation into an international gay rights advocate. She opens her account with memories of Matthew as her child, not yet the symbol he would become. The book traces their family's ordinary American life before the crime that changed everything in their small college town. Shepard describes rushing to the hospital where Matthew lay connected to life support machines, learning about the nationwide vigils strangers held for her son, and navigating the legal proceedings as his killers faced trial. She reveals her personal struggle with devastating loss and explains her decision to enter activism. The book examines the challenges of raising a gay child in America and addresses the civil rights questions Matthew's death raised across the nation.
Genres: crime, biography-memoir, activism, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: grief, personal-journey
Setting: America, United States
Period: 1998
271 pages · Hardcover · Hudson Street Press
Content warnings: murder, violence