While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull Mckinstry

I received this book from Tyndale publishing to read and give my humble opinion on.
Book Description:
On September 15, 1963, a Klan-planted bomb went off in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Fourteen-year-old Carolyn Maull was just a few feet away when the bomb exploded, killing four of her friends in the girl’s rest room she had just exited. It was one of the seminal moments in the Civil Rights movement, a sad day in American history . . . and the turning point in a young girl’s life.
While the World Watched is a poignant and gripping eyewitness account of life in the Jim Crow South—from the bombings, riots and assassinations to the historic marches and triumphs that characterized the Civil Rights movement.
A uniquely moving exploration of how racial relations have evolved over the past 5 decades, While the World Watched is an incredible testament to how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.

While the World Watched is a book my Carolyn Maull Mckinstry, a survivor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing on Sept 15, 1963. Carolyn lost 4 teenage friends that day when a bomb went off where the girls were. Carolyn had just been by them a minute before and could have died with them. Carolyn grew up in Birmingham(Bombingham) Alabama during the Jim Crow laws and the start of the Civil rights moment. Until the bombing Carolyn had no idea the segregation and hate going on. In her family the laws were the rules of their home and when she questioned why she couldn't go somewhere her parents would state, "Because we don't have the money." Her parents sheltered her as much as possible from this. But after Sept 15th, 1963 her life changed dramatically. This story tells of the journey Carolyn took. The lasting affects this bombing and the other things she experienced in Birmingham, Alabama goes on until this day. The one thing Carolyn tried very hard to do was cling to Jesus. Carolyn's faith rarely wavered. Carolyn Mckinstry is a survivor in all senses of the word.
While the World Watched gives the unique viewpoints of not just a child but a first hand account of the bombing, a personal account of how these events effected her whole life. I enjoyed this book a lot. I had a little bit of a hard time following sometimes because there was a lot of date jumping in spots but it definitely did not take away from the story. This book was about non violence, peace, love, and ultimately forgiveness. Also in this book were speeches and quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,whom Carolyn got to hear and speak to first hand, speeches and quotes also from John and Bobby Kennedy. This book is a must read for the young and old about a time in our history that is very important to know about. I highly recommend this book.