
Choosing Hope
Moving Forward from Life's Darkest Hours
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $13.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis
About this listen
Kaitlin Roig-Debellis is the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who saved her entire class of 15 six and seven-year-olds from the tragic events that took place on December 14, 2012, by piling them into a single-occupancy bathroom within her classroom, mere feet from the brutal and indiscriminate massacre taking place outside the door. Since then, despite the unimaginably painful experiences she endured, she has chosen to share her experience with others, in the hope that they too can find light in dark moments.
Choosing Hope is a lot of things. A written witness to a tragedy that will never be forgotten. A gripping firsthand testament to the power of good over the power of destruction. An inspirational memoir by a brave young woman whose story is one of courage, heroism, faith, and resilience. And a celebration of all the people who make the choice to pass along their hope and positivity to young ones - parents, mentors, and especially teachers. There is no moving on, but there is always moving forward. And how we move forward is a choice.
“Although now I have witnessed the worst of mankind, instead of feeling bitter or regretful I have chosen to embrace gratitude. I believe in the power of kindness, the influence of educators and mentors, faith and God, and most of all I believe in humanity. Bad things happen to all of us, things that test us and impact us and change us, but it is not those moments that define us. It is how we choose to react to them that does”. (Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis)
©2015 Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis and Robin Gaby Fisher (P)2015 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Nurturing Healing Love
- A Mother’s Journey of Hope and Forgiveness
- By: Scarlett Lewis
- Narrated by: Scarlett Lewis
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On December 14, 2012, Scarlett Lewis experienced something that no parent should ever have to endure: She lost her son Jesse in an act of unimaginable violence. The day started just like any other, but when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Scarlett's life changed forever. However, this isn't a story about a massacre. It's a story about love and survival. It's about how to face the impossible, how to find courage when you think you have none, and how to choose love instead of anger, fear, or hatred.
-
-
Please translate to Spanish !!
- By Marcela on 11-03-21
By: Scarlett Lewis
-
Sandy Hook
- An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth
- By: Elizabeth Williamson
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Elizabeth Williamson
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on hundreds of hours of research, interviews, and access to exclusive sources and materials, Sandy Hook is Elizabeth Williamson’s landmark investigation of the aftermath of a school shooting, the work of Sandy Hook parents who fought to defend themselves, and the truth of their children’s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and conspiracy theorists.
-
-
Not What I Thought
- By Andrea C. Shebuski on 03-13-22
-
A Mother's Reckoning
- Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy
- By: Sue Klebold
- Narrated by: Andrew Solomon, Sue Klebold
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Over the course of minutes, they would kill 12 students and a teacher and wound 24 others before taking their own lives. For the last 16 years, Sue Klebold, Dylan's mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong?
-
-
Sad, but, Ultimately, Self-Serving
- By Gillian on 02-19-16
By: Sue Klebold
-
An Unseen Angel
- A Mother’s Story of Healing and Hope After Sandy Hook
- By: Alissa Parker
- Narrated by: Alissa Parker
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Alissa Parker lost her daughter Emilie in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, she started a life-changing journey to answer soul-searching questions about faith, hope, and healing. As she sought for the peace and comfort that could help mend her broken heart, she learned, step by step, how to open her heart to God's grace and will. The story of Alissa and Emilie reminds us that the bonds of love continue beyond this life and that despite tragedy and heartache, we can find strength in our family and our faith.
-
-
Great book
- By Defhed on 06-09-18
By: Alissa Parker
-
Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
-
-
Gutterball!
- By Jimmyjoejangles on 01-10-23
-
Newtown
- An American Tragedy
- By: Matthew Lysiak
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
12/14/2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Newtown, Connecticut We remember the numbers: 20 children and 6 adults, murdered in a place of nurture and trust. We remember the names: Teachers like Victoria Soto, who lost her life protecting her students. A shooter named Adam Lanza. And we remember the questions: Outraged conjecture instantly monopolized the worldwide response to the tragedy, while the truth went missing. Here is the definitive journalistic account of Newtown.
-
-
Good, but no Columbine
- By Carisa on 04-30-17
By: Matthew Lysiak
-
Nurturing Healing Love
- A Mother’s Journey of Hope and Forgiveness
- By: Scarlett Lewis
- Narrated by: Scarlett Lewis
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On December 14, 2012, Scarlett Lewis experienced something that no parent should ever have to endure: She lost her son Jesse in an act of unimaginable violence. The day started just like any other, but when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Scarlett's life changed forever. However, this isn't a story about a massacre. It's a story about love and survival. It's about how to face the impossible, how to find courage when you think you have none, and how to choose love instead of anger, fear, or hatred.
-
-
Please translate to Spanish !!
- By Marcela on 11-03-21
By: Scarlett Lewis
-
Sandy Hook
- An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth
- By: Elizabeth Williamson
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Elizabeth Williamson
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on hundreds of hours of research, interviews, and access to exclusive sources and materials, Sandy Hook is Elizabeth Williamson’s landmark investigation of the aftermath of a school shooting, the work of Sandy Hook parents who fought to defend themselves, and the truth of their children’s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and conspiracy theorists.
-
-
Not What I Thought
- By Andrea C. Shebuski on 03-13-22
-
A Mother's Reckoning
- Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy
- By: Sue Klebold
- Narrated by: Andrew Solomon, Sue Klebold
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Over the course of minutes, they would kill 12 students and a teacher and wound 24 others before taking their own lives. For the last 16 years, Sue Klebold, Dylan's mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong?
-
-
Sad, but, Ultimately, Self-Serving
- By Gillian on 02-19-16
By: Sue Klebold
-
An Unseen Angel
- A Mother’s Story of Healing and Hope After Sandy Hook
- By: Alissa Parker
- Narrated by: Alissa Parker
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Alissa Parker lost her daughter Emilie in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, she started a life-changing journey to answer soul-searching questions about faith, hope, and healing. As she sought for the peace and comfort that could help mend her broken heart, she learned, step by step, how to open her heart to God's grace and will. The story of Alissa and Emilie reminds us that the bonds of love continue beyond this life and that despite tragedy and heartache, we can find strength in our family and our faith.
-
-
Great book
- By Defhed on 06-09-18
By: Alissa Parker
-
Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
-
-
Gutterball!
- By Jimmyjoejangles on 01-10-23
-
Newtown
- An American Tragedy
- By: Matthew Lysiak
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
12/14/2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Newtown, Connecticut We remember the numbers: 20 children and 6 adults, murdered in a place of nurture and trust. We remember the names: Teachers like Victoria Soto, who lost her life protecting her students. A shooter named Adam Lanza. And we remember the questions: Outraged conjecture instantly monopolized the worldwide response to the tragedy, while the truth went missing. Here is the definitive journalistic account of Newtown.
-
-
Good, but no Columbine
- By Carisa on 04-30-17
By: Matthew Lysiak
-
Parkland
- Birth of a Movement
- By: Dave Cullen
- Narrated by: Dave Cullen, Robert Fass
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the first anniversary of the events at Parkland, the acclaimed, New York Times best-selling author of Columbine offers an intimate, deeply moving account of the extraordinary teenage survivors who became activists and pushed back against the NRA and feckless Congressional leaders - inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement.
-
-
10 Hours of Gen Xer in Awe of Gen Z
- By Incog Neat Oh on 02-22-19
By: Dave Cullen
-
Becoming Free Indeed
- My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear
- By: Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Corey Williams
- Narrated by: Jinger Duggar Vuolo
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.
-
-
So close and missed the mark
- By Jim on 02-01-23
By: Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and others
-
I'll See You Again
- By: Jackie Hance, Janice Kaplan
- Narrated by: Jackie Hance
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One woman's journey through unbearable loss. A true story.
-
-
An Amazing Undertaking: from Devastated to Hopeful
- By Mary Burnight on 12-05-16
By: Jackie Hance, and others
-
All My Knotted-Up Life
- A Memoir
- By: Beth Moore
- Narrated by: Beth Moore
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All My Knotted-Up Life is a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.
-
-
Finished in one day
- By nedmac mama on 02-22-23
By: Beth Moore
-
Solito
- A Memoir
- By: Javier Zamora
- Narrated by: Javier Zamora
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Javier Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
-
-
MASTERPIECE of Poetic Prose, Outstanding Narration
- By Mary Burnight on 01-12-23
By: Javier Zamora
-
The End of Normal
- By: Stephanie Madoff Mack
- Narrated by: Stephanie Madoff Mack
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An explosive, heartbreaking memoir from the widow of Mark Madoff and daughter-in-law of Bernard Madoff, the first genuine inside story from a family member who has lived through - and survived - both the public crisis and her own deeply personal tragedy. In this candid insider account, she talks about her idyllic wedding to Mark, what it was really like to be a part of the Madoff family, the build-up to Bernard's confession, and the media frenzy that followed. It is about the loss of the fairytale life she knew and the tragic and final loss of her husband.
-
-
Madoff's family values
- By Olga Rozzell on 10-25-11
-
The Stranger Beside Me
- The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
- Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ann Rule was working on the biggest story of her career, tracking the trail of victims left by a brutal serial killer. Little did this future best-selling author know that the savage slayer she was hunting was the young man she counted among her closest friends. Everyone's picture of a natural winner, Ted Bundy was a bright, charming, and handsome man with a promising future as an attorney. But on January 24, 1989 Bundy was executed for the murders of three young women - and had confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five more women from coast to coast.
-
-
Another Good One from Ann Rule
- By Malia on 08-24-12
By: Ann Rule
-
A Stolen Life
- A Memoir
- By: Jaycee Dugard
- Narrated by: Jaycee Dugard
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I dont think of myself as a victim. I survived...."
-
-
Terrific
- By Daniel on 07-27-11
By: Jaycee Dugard
-
Prophecy and Modern Times
- Finding Hope and Encouragement in the Last Days
- By: W. Cleon Skousen
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prophecy and Modern Times is a delightfully arranged collection of prophecies from both ancient and modern prophets. A foreword by President Ezra Taft Benson sets the stage. Learn how to interpret and understand prophecy. Learn its purpose in your own life. Next, read about prophecies concerning America and Palestine, and see how those ancient men foresaw events that we are living through right now.
-
-
Great Book for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
- By Sam on 12-07-14
By: W. Cleon Skousen
-
For Laci
- A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice
- By: Sharon Rocha
- Narrated by: Staci Snell
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every mother's worst fear became Sharon Rocha's reality. On Christmas Eve 2002, she received a phone call from her son-in-law saying that her daughter, Laci, was missing. In the hours, days, and eventually months that followed, Sharon struggled to avoid accepting what no parent should ever have to face: the certain knowledge that her child is never coming home.
-
-
OMG!!!THE BEST BOOK I'VE LISTENED TO THUS FAR!!!
- By leelee8888 on 08-01-15
By: Sharon Rocha
-
Tuesdays with Morrie
- 20th Anniversary Edition
- By: Mitch Albom
- Narrated by: Mitch Albom
- Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
-
-
Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live
- By AudioAddict on 04-17-16
By: Mitch Albom
-
Slenderman
- Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls
- By: Kathleen Hale
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two 12-year-old girls attempted to stab their classmate to death. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier’s violence was extreme, but what seemed even more frightening was that they committed their crime under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called “Slenderman”. Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved suffered from undiagnosed mental illnesses, often went overlooked in coverage of the case.
-
-
Excellent narration
- By Pink Amy on 08-21-22
By: Kathleen Hale
Critic reviews
"[S]tirring...a bold, inspiring and ultimately hopeful book." (Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and author of the New York Times best seller Thrive)
"[M]oving" (Wally Lamb, New York Times best-selling author of We Are Water and She’s Come Undone)
"[B]rave" (Karen Armstrong, New York Times best-selling author of Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life and The History of God)
What listeners say about Choosing Hope
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- lilbuctoof
- 06-07-22
Moving
This book touched me in many ways. So well written and I loved the author reading the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carlynn
- 10-17-15
Powerful Story
If you could sum up Choosing Hope in three words, what would they be?
It was sad and inspiring ti hear her tell her own story.
Which character – as performed by Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis – was your favorite?
Na
What insight do you think you’ll apply from Choosing Hope?
The ability to choose at any moment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-07-17
A BEAUTIFUL Story!!!
This is an amazing story!!! A moving tribute to the ones lost on this mournful day. God be with you all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ketomanu
- 10-07-15
Have a seat and listen in...
I live in CT, in the next town over from Newtown, and decided to read Choosing Hope, as skeptic, curious to know more about Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis's story and Sandy Hook . By the time I finished listening to the book (5 hours and a box of tissues later)... I truly feel inspired. There is a lot more to the story, and to Roig-DeBellis than what was out on main stream media. The author was able to share important details without making it feel exploitive, you can hear voice raw, breaking at certain spots in between tears. The book is a therapy room where Roig-DeBellis is processing her own feelings and emotions about this horrific tragedy, as well as her whole life, and allows the reader to have a seat and listen in. I am glad I listened, I am better for it, and will join her in her daily quest to choose hope. Ps: getting a hard copy as Holiday gift for all of son's teachers...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B.J. Brown
- 10-03-19
Inspirational
Inspiring story of choosing hope over despair. Having the book read by the author reinforces the positive message.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathleen M Hicks
- 08-28-16
Moving and hopeful
Very well narrated and gives hope and inspiration to all who may struggle with life' challenges.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kary
- 11-05-16
Unimaginable
It is unimaginable for most of us to understand what the survivors of Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting experienced during and the long term effects after. This audio book brought me to tears on several occasions. Please pray that we find more people in the world that want to become amazing teachers like Mrs. Roig-debellis!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- V. Fiddler
- 07-04-17
Count your blessings
Clarifies how fragile life is and how in a moments notice things can drastically change or end. To view life with new wisdom. Hope.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jim Ladiski
- 07-14-22
Powerful!
In this book, Kaitlin tells the story of her path from the debilitating result of unfathomable tragedy to thriving with hope. Such a great listen from beginning to end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stephen Taylor
- 01-16-19
impactful
thank you kaitlin for sharing your story. it has impacted my life. what a powerful message of choosing hope.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!