If you have ever had a brother, or grieved for a love one who has died, then you will find this book more than a little bit worthwhile. And if you haven't had either one of those things, you will probably still see yourself within these pages.
Ken Dornstein's The Boy Who Fell Out Of The Sky is the story of the author's quest to understand his brother's life, in the context of his untimely death at the hands of terrorists. His older brother David was killed in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988, and the author has lived under the pall of these events ever since.
The prose is smooth and well-written, making this morbid subject matter extremely readable. I have to admit, though, that I was attracted to this book after merely reading the editor's pitch. The story is amazing, and there are so many creepy coincidences about David Dornstein's death in the first 100 pages that I actually went online in search of a passenger list to see if he really was on Pan Am flight 103. It turns out he was.
Ken Dornstein's The Boy Who Fell Out Of The Sky is the story of the author's quest to understand his brother's life, in the context of his untimely death at the hands of terrorists. His older brother David was killed in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988, and the author has lived under the pall of these events ever since.
The prose is smooth and well-written, making this morbid subject matter extremely readable. I have to admit, though, that I was attracted to this book after merely reading the editor's pitch. The story is amazing, and there are so many creepy coincidences about David Dornstein's death in the first 100 pages that I actually went online in search of a passenger list to see if he really was on Pan Am flight 103. It turns out he was.
David was bigger than life, a real character, a budding young author who, at the time of his death, was supposedly working on the next great American novel. He seemed to significantly affect everyone he knew. He lived the exciting life of a tortured artist obsessed with creating something great. There was even speculation that the only copy of the manuscript of his new novel was on that fateful flight.
What is truly striking about The Boy Who Fell Out Of The Sky, though, is the author's honesty. David Dornstein's insight into his brother's nature, strengths and shortcomings, as well as his own, is astonishing, and left me wondering about how heartbreaking this project must truly have been for him.
What is truly striking about The Boy Who Fell Out Of The Sky, though, is the author's honesty. David Dornstein's insight into his brother's nature, strengths and shortcomings, as well as his own, is astonishing, and left me wondering about how heartbreaking this project must truly have been for him.
In his search for his brother amid the belongings and people that he left behind, the author learns what it means to grieve. If you have never been to this place, then you are fortunate; if you have, then you will find truth in these pages and solace in the solidarity of those who have loved and lost. There are no easy answers for those who are left behind when a loved one dies, and through telling this poignant story Ken Dornstein opens a window onto his own personal grief experience and invites us all to have a look.
Beyond the grieving, I have a brother twelve years my junior, and I found myself saying "Yes, we're just like that," over and over again. Sometimes I was Ken, and sometimes I was David, but there is no doubt that Ken has really gotten at the core of some part of what it is to be brothers in this culture.
Beyond the grieving, I have a brother twelve years my junior, and I found myself saying "Yes, we're just like that," over and over again. Sometimes I was Ken, and sometimes I was David, but there is no doubt that Ken has really gotten at the core of some part of what it is to be brothers in this culture.
I would not call this a quick read, although certainly a very compelling one. The author learned about himself while writing this book, and I learned about myself while reading it. There was too much in here for me to simply fly through it. This is the kind of book that will make you stop and reflect on your own life in ways that might surprise you, and I highly recommend it.
