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She Said Yes
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She Said Yes (1999) (edit title/settings)

The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall

by Misty Bernall (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

"One of the most gripping stories to come out of the shooting at Columbine High School" is told in the acclaimed national bestseller that illuminates the most remarkable aspect of 17-year-old Cassie Bernall's tragic death: her life.

She Said Yes is an "intense and fascinating memoir"... read more

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Summary edit see section history

from Chapter 7 -- Dying We Live
Within a day of the shooting at Columbine High, the story of Cassie's exchange with the boys who killed her was making headlines across the nation, and by the next day, people began calling her the "martyr of Littleton." At first I wasn't too sure what to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

from Chapter 7 -- Dying We Live
Within a day of the shooting at Columbine High, the story of Cassie's exchange with the boys who killed her was making headlines across the nation, and by the next day, people began calling her the "martyr of Littleton." At first I wasn't too sure what to make of it. Cassie is my daughter, I thought. You can't turn her into a Joan of Arc.

I'm not belittling her bravery. I'm profoundly proud of her for refusing to cave in, and for saying yes to her killers, and I always will be. She had principles and morals, and she was not ashamed of them, even though it must have taken all the courage she could muster to hold fast. When I first heard what she had done, I looked at Brad, and I wondered, "Would I have done that?" I might have begged for my life. Cassie didn't. She may have been seventeen, but she's a far stronger woman than I'll ever be.

Still, she would hate to be held up as a shining example or singled out for praise. In any case, she was not the only one to pay for taking a stand that day at the high school...In one classroom, a teacher pulled out light bulbs to darken the room and trick the shooters into thinking it was empty. One boy threw himself on top of his sister to protect her from the gunfire and take the bullets himself. Another grabbed a bomb and tossed it clear of a group of fellow students, even though he was wounded. Dave Sanders, a teacher, stood in a hallway as the gunmen approached, blocking oncoming students and urging them to run the other way to safety. Minutes later he was shot, and by the time a rescue squad got to him, he had bled to death.

To lift up Cassie as a martyr, then, is unnecessary. It won't change the facts of her life. For Brad and me it is enough to know that, whatever the reason, Cassie stood up for what she believed. It is enough to know that at an age when image means everything, she was not ashamed to make a stand or afraid to say what she thought.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Cassie Bernall: Junior at Columbine High School who was killed in the library by Dylan Klebold.
  • Brad Bernall: Cassie's father
  • Mona: Pseydonym of Cassie's former best friend, who was a bad influence
  • Chris Bernall: Cassie's brother
  • Dave: Pastor at Cassie's church
  • Rick: Pseudonym of Cassie's former boyfriend
  • Eric Harris: Along with Dylan Klebold, one of the Columbine shooters
  • Dylan Klebold: Along with Eric Harris, one of the Columbine shooters
  • Misty Bernall: Cassie's mother and who wrote this book
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “"One day a week or so before Cassie's death we were sitting at the kitchen table, talking, and got onto the subject of death. I don't remember how. She said, "Mom, I'm not afraid to die, because I'll be in heaven." I told her I couldn't imagine her dying--that I couldn't bear the thought of living without her. "But Mom, you'd know I was in a better place. Wouldn't you be happy for me?"”

First Sentence edit see section history

April 20, 1999, started like any other school day in our house.

Table of Contents edit see section history

. Foreword. xiii.
1.. Tuesday. 1.
2.. Daddy's girl. 17.
3.. Murder, she wrote. 35.
4.. Home front. 57.
5.. U-Turn. 77.
6.. The trials of love. 87.
7.. Dying we live. 113.
8.. Reflections. 125

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Misty Bernall (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Michael W. Smith (Afterword)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Word Pub
Country: Nashville
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0874869870
Page Count: 142

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Parents should read the book first or along with child to determine appropriateness.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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