Author Publication

Wally Lamb

Wally Lamb is an American author known as the writer of the novels She's Come Undone and I Know This much is True, both of which were selected for Oprah's Book Club. In addition, both books have been translated into twenty different languages.

Lamb was born in Connecticut. He was the director of the Writing Center at Norwich Free Academy. He has a B.A. and M.A. in Education from the University of Connecticut. He currently lives in Connecticut, with his wife and three sons.

Published Novels:

She's Come Undone

I Know This Much is True

The Hour I First Believed

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story

2004, Form B

Lamb’s writing about Columbine is both gripping and chilling. He uses the killers’ and victims’ real names to successfully imagine the fictional Quirks into real-life events. The beginning of the novel consists of flashbacks, marriage problems, and other events leading up the death of many innocent people. Lamb has a way of keeping the reader on the edge of their seating, waiting, tearing through the pages eagerly wanting to know what happened during Columbine.

The first couple of chapters develop the characters, allowing the reader to fully understand the background of the couple that would soon experience a life changing event.  Maureen and Caelum are like most Americans struggling with their marriage, drinking, and work. Maureen had cheated on Caelum and to get back at her for doing that Caelum ended up assaulting the man she had an affair with. Also, due to the cheating Caelum develops a drinking problem that takes a toll not only on his marriage but his work. Both Maureen and Caelum both seem content with their work and don’t really strive to anything more than the basic. The two are living a normal life until the unexpected happens.

As soon as you think that the shooting is about to occur, Caelum’s grandmother is put into the hospital due to a stroke. He is put on a flight and off to Colorado to attend to the only person who ever shows affection to him. While he is in Colorado he catches himself watching breaking news on the television about the school that he and his wife work at. Not knowing if she is dead or alive, is heart wrenching. Maureen makes it throw the shooting by hiding in a cabinet in the library.

Relieved that she was alive I figured the couple would rejoice and it would live happily ever after; however it seems as if their world and their personalities were flipped upside down. You see Caelum go off the deep end in drinking and Maureen become addicted to drugs and land herself in prison.  The tragedy (or death of many) completely changed the characters and the mood of the story. Therefore I would agree that the death illuminates the meaning of the novel "The Hour I first Believed".

Rachel's review of "The Hour I First Believed" Rated: 2 Stars

I think I wanted this book to be about a couple who experienced a enormous tragedy in life who end up choosing to live for God in the end. However; I found that at the beginning of this novel that the author sort of drug out the story. Lamb goes into great detail about each and every event, and usually this would allow the reader to paint a picture in their head. For me I just thought it was too much. Lamb could have cut the book almost in half addressing one topic, instead he tackled several. The fact that he could tie in many different plot lines was impressive, but my taste is more straight to the point. I don't like the whole beat around the bush telling me every single detail before the climax, just cut to the chase. I learn to love Maureen for the simple fact that she does what she wants, but then towards the end I am just unable to grasp her reasoning of her decisions. Velvet's characted truly helped me understand the heart and thoughts of people that are not of the popular crowd. She is yearning for more, and that is the reasoning behind her lashing out the way she does. I would agree that the book does have good points and ideas, but I would vote it a MUST read.

"God, I can't wait till they die. I can taste the blood now"

Columbine was a serious event that took place; however I believe it could have been prevented. The two boys who killed many innocent students, left many clues previous to the tragedy. It was said by the teachers when they were interviewed that when they had written essays in class that their papers would always be on the topic of killing. Other teachers commented, saying that they found drawings of guns and other gruesome images. The quote from above is one that one of the boys signed in the other's yearbook. I can not grasp the concept of wanting to kill innocent people. No matter what someone goes through, I just can not see it coming to this. I know I should not like the two boys that committed this crime, but something inside of me tells me that they had something seriouslt wrong for them to do such a thing. I do not believe that there is bad people, but that things happen or people's enviroment force them to thrive for more attention whether it be good or bad. This quote hurts my heart both for the victims and the two boys.

"The Hour I First Believed" by Karen Peck & New River

Caelum

Caelum seems to be very dull and much like everyone else. He is typical teacher just trying to make his way through life. You don't ever see emotion until the scene of him and Maureen's fight. Even then he is upset and then gets over it with a beer. Caelum has a grandmother who lives in Colorado who just had a stroke. Maureen tells him that he should go visit her to bring her comfort. Against his wishes he catches a flight out to see her. Instead of going to the hospital right when he lands, her heads over her to ranch.  After scurring around in the house and feeding the cat, he makes his way to the hospital. There he finds his grandmother unconsious. You do not see him get upset here either, but he does make an attempt to brush her hair. As soon as he is done brushing her hair her eyes open as if she comprehends that he is there. Shortly after Caelum leaves, and then twenty minutes later she dies. As Caelum is in Colorado that is when the shooting takes place. The troubles do not effect him until his wife goes to prison and he is engulfed with lonliness. This is when you see Caelum search for a real purpose in life; GOD. At the beginning I didn't care much for Caelum, I hated how he treated Maureen. As the story wrapped up however; I begin to understand that he just didn't know any better and didn't know his true purpose in life.

Maureen

Maureen is a typical woman; always going against the grain. She is a school nurse and loves children, helping them with anything and everything. She meets Velvet and immediately feels as if she is supposed to be there for her. In the opening of the story there is a scene where Velvet is over at Maureen and Caelun's house, waiting for Maureen to have a picinic with her. You feel as if Caelum is uncomfortable with Velvet being there and then instantly you flash back. Caelum had taken Velvet in and tried to help her; however Velvet got too comfortable and came onto Caelum. He made the mistake of never telling his wife but what he did do was always tell Maureen to watch out. Her being a woman she didn't allow his words to phase her and kept helping Velvet. This continues and inronicly Maureen is with Velvet in the library when the shooting happend. Maureen was dramatically afftected by the shooting and ended up becoming addicted to drugs. As result of this she killed an innocent teen on the way home one day. Maureen is put into the same woman's prision that Caelum's grandmother reformed many years prior. I love Maureen's character. She is one that will march to her own beat and not care what others think of her. Her decison in end to turn to drugs is not something I agree with; however I would agree that in certain situations you can not judges others unless you've been there before.