The Ethan Chronicles : Requiem for a Life Stolen

By Marsha A. Willis

Based on a true story that gained national media coverage, The Ethan Chronicles: Requiem for a Life Stolen documents a family's devastation and outrage at an impersonal system that sacrified a loving,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970719434
• ISBN13: 9780970719430
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Cassidy Books
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A must-read for all parents

Marsha Willis is a gifted writer. Her skill with the written word makes "The Ethan Chronicles" truly a work of literary nonfiction. It is written in third person voice (Marsha calls herself Ann) and one feels he or she is reading fiction. Ann's son Ethan is killed in an accident when he is hit broadside by a young man, "Matt," who has a "mile long" rap sheet of run-ins with law enforcement officials. Somehow, over the years, Matt has managed to escape conviction on many of the charges such as: "Charge of underage alcohol possession is dismissed because the original ticket has disappeared." In essence, he is consequently allowed to continue his reckless driving habits, which eventually result in Ethan's death. As loophole after loophole delays the trial, the reader wonders if Matt will ever be held accountable for his actions, especially in the death of Ethan. Marsha skillfully weaves the incredible story of bringing Matt to trial (as seen on Court TV and Dateline NBC) and the anguish of her grief in losing her only child. As a bereaved parent, I related so strongly with Marsha (Ann.) Her words gave voice to my own grief journey. If you are a parent, bereaved or not, this book is a must-read.

No Greater Inspiration!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February of 2001. Last year was a year consumed by surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments -- BUT it was another year of the gift of life. Thank you, Marsha, for touching my life and my heart with the reinforcement that every day is precious and to be enjoyed -- never to be taken for granted. Your courage, honest emotion and "recovery" are an inspiration to me! Ethan smiles down on us all!

Extremely Thought Provoking

Marsha did an amazing thing in this book. She took the most unbearable event possible and walked me through it with her, allowing me to believe that one CAN make it to the other side of this kind of tragedy. I was impressed that the journey was an enlightenment, and in no way morbid or prurient. I loved the way the story brought up one viewpoint after another, of an incredibly complex situation. This was one of the most thought-provoking books I have recently read.

Provides insights into court systems, justice, and tragedy

A woman and her family struggle to regain meaning in life after the death of a 21-year-old son in a preventable accident. Ethan Chronicles is more than an autobiographical chronicle of one family's suffering: it provides insights into the court systems, justice, and tragedy.

The Ethan Chronicles

A powerful story. I couldn't put this book down! The Ethan Chronicles is written with incredible eloquence and passion. Author (and mother) Marsha A. Willis' account of the death of her only son, Ethan, in a senseless car crash, haunts the reader long after the book is put away. For anyone who has ever been taken down the path of pain, frustration and loss of a beloved child--this author has paid an overwhelming price--to remind us all that we remain so mysteriously...mortal.