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The Impossible Tree
The Impossible Tree, Paperback Book by Mary Lamport. Signed and inscribed by Mary Lamport. " It was on a day in August, 1966, that Mrs. Lamport, her sister-in-law, and her two sons, on a sightseeing trip, set out for the Tower on the campus of the University of Texas. A few hours later one son and the sister-in-law were dead and Mrs. Lamport and her other son were crippled by the gunfire of a sniper gone berserk, Sixteen people were killed that day and thirty-one wounded in a sense nightmare." The Texas Massacre on the University of Texas campus was dismissed by the public and put to a back section of their minds. If they'd stayed with the story, they'd have found its sequel in The Impossible Tree which couldn't be climbed-but eventually was! 45-year-old resident of Austin was killed Monday, August 1, 1966. She was taking her brother, M.J. Gabour of Texarkana, and his family--his wife Mary and their sons Mark and Mike--on a tour of the tower when Charles Whitman attacked them.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1972
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May 30, 2024
Where do I begin?
Well, first off. I never ever thought I'd ever own a copy of this book, let alone read it since it's a very hard to get limited out of print book. My 12th rarest/out of print book that I own and my copy is in excellent condition.
Like multiple victims of the Texas tower shooting Mary Lamport [the author of this book] wasn't even suppose to be there at all.
Mrs.Townsley, the secretary that Whitman beat to death then used her desk to block the entrance. To quote a police officer - "She wasn't even suppose to be there that day. She was taking somebody's place." Same with the newspaper boy who was delivery news papers on their bike. He was taking somebody else's place. In Lamport's case....a myriad of factors had to be changed to get them to the Tower on that exact day, at that exact time. If just one thing had changed, they wouldn't of been caught up in the whole thing. Same thing happened with my mom in terms of the Las Vegas concert shooting. My mom almost went, I remember seeing the concert advertised. At the casino we went to, on TV in commercial advertisements, on the radio, etc. My mom the day before, or that exact day; my mother and I were in the car and we are driving around town. I am pretty sure driving home, I think the radio had an advertisement about the concert or maybe she brought it up for no reason, but I think it was due to the radio and my mom said "Grandma wanted me to go to that concert with her." and I always wanting to encourage her, to "enjoy life" to the fullest asked "why not?" and my mom said "I just don't want to be around her." They didn't have a good relationship. Therefor my grandma didn't go either.
Mary Lamport even states that visiting Austin wasn't even mentioned at the beginning of the road trip, and the day they were going to visit Austin was gonna be several days after August 1st, the day of the massacre. Also, Mary Lamport didn't even originally want to go at all. She was planning to stay home "away from the men" of the house, with her daughter and even when they did visit Austin, the whole "we are gonna go see the Tower" was not at all planned what so ever. In fact, they were on their way to visit the capitol.
Lamport's book begins with her moving into a South American country in 1950 and doesn't leave until the end of the decade in 1959. We get a lot of ancedotes about her time there, about her family and children, etc.
We do get the lead up to the shooting and we do get the fallout of the incident which she called "The accident"; basically their recovery after being shot close range by a shotgun, which of course did great damage to their bodies. Didn't slow her surviving son down though, thank goodness and Mrs.Lamport is/was a great survivor.
The biggest issue with this book, at least for me is....I never really felt a great sense of WHO Mrs.Lamport was. Her personality. I just couldn't get a firm grasp on it. I think due to some of the writing which isn't bad, it's not as engaging as it could of been. I think the book could of used a bit more spice/third person perspective. We don't learn about anything about her favorite movies, music, worldview, etc. We only really learn that she loved to read. Oh and other then the back of the book showing a "recent" photo of the author Mary Lamport, there are no photos. I would of really liked some photos.
Overall, a decent book/read.
Oh and I do go into a rant about another topic in the comment section. If anyone wants to read.
Well, first off. I never ever thought I'd ever own a copy of this book, let alone read it since it's a very hard to get limited out of print book. My 12th rarest/out of print book that I own and my copy is in excellent condition.
Like multiple victims of the Texas tower shooting Mary Lamport [the author of this book] wasn't even suppose to be there at all.
Mrs.Townsley, the secretary that Whitman beat to death then used her desk to block the entrance. To quote a police officer - "She wasn't even suppose to be there that day. She was taking somebody's place." Same with the newspaper boy who was delivery news papers on their bike. He was taking somebody else's place. In Lamport's case....a myriad of factors had to be changed to get them to the Tower on that exact day, at that exact time. If just one thing had changed, they wouldn't of been caught up in the whole thing. Same thing happened with my mom in terms of the Las Vegas concert shooting. My mom almost went, I remember seeing the concert advertised. At the casino we went to, on TV in commercial advertisements, on the radio, etc. My mom the day before, or that exact day; my mother and I were in the car and we are driving around town. I am pretty sure driving home, I think the radio had an advertisement about the concert or maybe she brought it up for no reason, but I think it was due to the radio and my mom said "Grandma wanted me to go to that concert with her." and I always wanting to encourage her, to "enjoy life" to the fullest asked "why not?" and my mom said "I just don't want to be around her." They didn't have a good relationship. Therefor my grandma didn't go either.
Mary Lamport even states that visiting Austin wasn't even mentioned at the beginning of the road trip, and the day they were going to visit Austin was gonna be several days after August 1st, the day of the massacre. Also, Mary Lamport didn't even originally want to go at all. She was planning to stay home "away from the men" of the house, with her daughter and even when they did visit Austin, the whole "we are gonna go see the Tower" was not at all planned what so ever. In fact, they were on their way to visit the capitol.
Lamport's book begins with her moving into a South American country in 1950 and doesn't leave until the end of the decade in 1959. We get a lot of ancedotes about her time there, about her family and children, etc.
We do get the lead up to the shooting and we do get the fallout of the incident which she called "The accident"; basically their recovery after being shot close range by a shotgun, which of course did great damage to their bodies. Didn't slow her surviving son down though, thank goodness and Mrs.Lamport is/was a great survivor.
The biggest issue with this book, at least for me is....I never really felt a great sense of WHO Mrs.Lamport was. Her personality. I just couldn't get a firm grasp on it. I think due to some of the writing which isn't bad, it's not as engaging as it could of been. I think the book could of used a bit more spice/third person perspective. We don't learn about anything about her favorite movies, music, worldview, etc. We only really learn that she loved to read. Oh and other then the back of the book showing a "recent" photo of the author Mary Lamport, there are no photos. I would of really liked some photos.
Overall, a decent book/read.
Oh and I do go into a rant about another topic in the comment section. If anyone wants to read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review