Mary M. (emeraldfire) - , reviewed on 1/5/2017

Jeanine Cummins and her brother and sister had always believed themselves to be invincible; tough street-wise teenagers who were entirely capable of taking care of themselves. The truth was that these supposedly 'street-smart' city kids could not have been living a more sheltered childhood. Truly, life in the big city could never have prepared Tom, Jeanine, and Kathy Cummins for anything. Indeed, nothing could have ever prepared the Cummins family for the type of brutality that they were about to encounter; or for the tragedy that would ultimately destroy life as they knew it.

When their parents packed nineteen-year-old Tom, sixteen-year-old Jeanine and fifteen-year-old Kathy into the family van for the trip to Missouri, the teenagers were absolutely delighted. They would be spending spring break with their cousins, and they couldn't possibly have been more excited at the prospect of seeing their family again - most especially the Kerry sisters; Julie and Robin. As a matter of fact, the Cummins siblings were extremely close to twenty-year-old Julie and nineteen-year-old Robin, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. Although nobody could possibly have anticipated the horror that they would experience on the night of April 4th, 1991.

A Rip in Heaven is Jeanine Cummins' story of that night, the horrifying night when her cousins Julie and Robin Kerry and her brother Tom were brutally assaulted. What started out as a simple walk to the Chain of Rocks Bridge - which spans the Mississippi River just outside of St. Louis - to read a poem written by Julie, turned into a harrowing ordeal for the three innocent young people. When Tom finally managed to escape their attackers and flag down help, he believed that the nightmare would soon be over.

However, he could not have been more wrong in his assumption. Tom, his sister Jeanine, and their entire family were only at the beginning of a horrifying odyssey through the aftermath of a violent crime; about to enter a world of shocking betrayal, endless heartbreak, and utter disillusionment. Ultimately, this was a trial by fire from which no family member would emerge unscathed.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a heartbreakingly sad and shattering account of a brutal crime, but I was utterly shocked by the treatment of the victims by the very people who were charged with their protection. I found that the perseverance of the Cummins family was truly admirable and I applaud their dedication to Julie's and Robin's memories. I would certainly give this book an A+!

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details