Anonymous wrote:op: Thanks for responding. What do you mean, she doesn't forgive the terrorists but she doesn't blame them either? She considers the terrorists to be normal people who are reacting normally to bad circumstances?

I didn’t write that the mother didn’t blame the terrorists. I reread my post and am not sure what you are referencing to respond. She blames them for her son’s death! She also recognizes some humanity in the terrorist who took the plea.

op: Thanks for responding. What do you mean, she doesn't forgive the terrorists but she doesn't blame them either? She considers the terrorists to be normal people who are reacting normally to bad circumstances?

So I have read this book now. I don't think she thinks her children in the US military are not heroes; she just wished captured journalists and aid workers received the same support from US government. As for the terrorists who killed her son and Obama (who she blames for doing nothing), I read her reaction not as forgiveness per se but more than they did what they could later given their deadly mistakes. She read as tired to me.

All in all, I was not as moved by the book as I had expected to be.

We all have our favorite children.

I agree with Diane that her son is a hero for risking, and sacrificing, his life to report in war zones. I also think her other living sons, who serve in the US military, are heroes. She seems to think otherwise? She forgives the terrorist who killed her son, and after blasting Obama for his handling of the situation, she mostly forgives him. But she still blames the US pilots whose bombs inflamed the terrorist. I read the book a few weeks ago and I can't get this out of my head.