When I was 9 Years Old

When I was 9 Years OldWhen Mary Anne Gribbon Beckman was nine years old, her seven year old brother, Dan, was hit by a car and killed. From that point on, every instance in her life, every moment shared with her father, every conversation with her mother had been shaped by the tragedyevery single one. When I Was 9 Years Old is framed by a gentle look back at family life in the 1950s through the 1970s. It is Gribbon Beckmans hope that readers will understand how deeply

When I Was 9 Years Old is framed by a gentle look back at family life in the 1950s through the 1970s. It is Gribbon-Beckman’s hope that readers will understand how deeply children pay attention, and how they are affected by what happens around and to them.

On November 5th, it will be sixty years since Gribbon-Beckman last saw her brother. She had thought of him every day since she was nine years old.

About the Author

Mary Anne Gribbon-Beckman originally wrote this book in 2010, and the events of her life occurred exactly as she states in the book: she is the only one who remembers—everything. She has worked full time since the day after she graduated from high school. It is the only thing she does well.

Gribbon-Beckman has been married to her husband, Walt, for forty-four years. Their son, Matthew, is thirty-one.