Remembrances of the Angels: 50th Anniversary Reminiscences of the Fire No One Can Forget

by John Kuenster

Book Overview

On a terrible day in December 1958, one of the deadliest fires in American history took the lives of ninety-two children and three nuns at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago. The tragedy shocked the nation, tore apart a community with grief and anger, left many families physically and psychologically scarred for life, and prompted a mystery unresolved to this day. It also led to a complete overhaul of fire safety standards for American schools. The story of that fire was eloquently told ten years ago by John Kuenster and David Cowan in their best-selling book To Sleep with the Angels. Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the fire, John Kuenster returns to talk with firemen, parents, children, reporters, clergy, school administrators, and others who were in some way connected with the disaster.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566638003
• ISBN13: 9781566638005
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Globe Pequot Publishing Group Inc/Bloomsbury
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Numerous Individuals Affected by the OLA Fire

WARNING: This book has many graphic recollections which may upset the sensitive reader. One characteristic of this book is the wide diversity of interviewed individuals who experienced the OLA fire from different angles. Probably the most common recollection of those whose siblings died in the fire was the grieving process of their parents. One interviewed priest was present at the Cook County Morgue, and had to handle the burned, greasy bodies to identify them. Two firefighters involved in fighting the fire, or removing the bodies afterward, were also interviewed. So was a television reporter, as well as a nurse who worked at a nearby hospital. Those who were inside the burning school and managed to survive by jumping out the windows or being pulled from them often recall the prior events, but not the actual jump or fall. When the nuns had led the trapped children to pray, it was only for as long as there was little smoke in the classrooms. [The teachers had no concept of the exponential nature of the growth of indoor fires, and had incorrectly supposed that the fire would remain small long enough for the firefighters to have time to rescue all the children through the windows.] Almost none of the survivors faulted the nuns. To the contrary: The nuns were praised for managing 50+ children, per classroom, in the deadly situation. The interviewees also had praises for the academic rigor and discipline of the Catholic education system. Some of the then-children who survived the fire had surprising testimonies. For instance, a 6th-grade girl prayed that she would get out of the smoke-filled classroom alive, not for her own sake, but so that her parents would not have to grieve her death, or try to forgive themselves for forcing her to go to school even though she had a (fake) stomachache. One hospitalized girl got many thousands of cards and gifts from all over the world. Many useful tidbits of information are included. For instance, the last fatality included in the 95 total occurred on August 6, 1959, when a massively-burned boy succumbed to his injuries. The rebuilt OLA School, which opened in 1960, was closed in 1999 due to low enrollment. Janitor James Raymond died in 1979. Firefighter Kamin died in 1992. [After this book was written, firefighter Scheidt, of LIFE Magazine fame, died in April 2009).

questions answered

this book helped answer the question "how did they survive such a tragedy". I read tbe first book and was consumed with thoughts of those children and their families. Nice follow up.

Caveat

This is a wonderful collection of remembrances of the 1958 Our Lady Of the Angels Catholic grade school fire. In order to fully appreciate the voices heard in this book, it is absolutley necessary to read the author's previous book, "To Sleep with the Angels," which provides an in-depth look at the fire, its possible origins, its impact on the community and its legacy as the clarion call for fire codes in all public places in this country. Read as companion pieces, these books put voices to the tragedy and reveal the personal struggle of the children and adults who were forever scarred by this event.

Remembrances of the Angels

This book contains first hand stories from some of the survivors of the Our Lady of the Angels school fire that took place on December 1, 1958. I've read "The fire that will not die" by Michele McBride and "To sleep with the Angels by David Cowan and would recommend this book.