What do you think?
Rate this book
Why Ben?: A Sister's Story of Heartbreak and Love for the Brother she Lost
At 2.30 in the morning of 29 June 2008, Broke Kinsella received a phone call. It was her sister Jade, telling her that their beloved brother Ben had been stabbed while out celebrating finishing his GCSEs. The Kinsella family's shock soon turned to grief when Ben lost his fight for life later that day, surrounded by those who love him.
Too upset at the time to speak about Ben's senseless murder, and with Ben's killers now convicted and behind bars, the former East Enders actress is able to reveal her full story in this heartbreaking and beautifully written memoir that celebrates the life of a young man whose future was so cruelly stolen from him.
Beginning with Ben's death an ending with the aftermath of the trial of his killers, the book is an extremely personal and powerful portrait of loss in the age of knife crime. From their first Christmas without Ben to facing the accused in court for the first time, Brooke writes in detail about the devastation that was caused in one night and which has changed her and her family's life forever. It is a powerfully moving and brave exploration of grief.
Too upset at the time to speak about Ben's senseless murder, and with Ben's killers now convicted and behind bars, the former East Enders actress is able to reveal her full story in this heartbreaking and beautifully written memoir that celebrates the life of a young man whose future was so cruelly stolen from him.
Beginning with Ben's death an ending with the aftermath of the trial of his killers, the book is an extremely personal and powerful portrait of loss in the age of knife crime. From their first Christmas without Ben to facing the accused in court for the first time, Brooke writes in detail about the devastation that was caused in one night and which has changed her and her family's life forever. It is a powerfully moving and brave exploration of grief.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2009
12 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 20, 2012
A heartbreaking tale of a young woman coming to terms with her teenage brother's death while still in front of the public eye. This had me weeping in some parts, yelling in others, and even laughing at a few moments. It brought back a lot of painful memories for me.
January 16, 2015
Heartbreaking story of a sisters love and loss of her brother. I felt some parts were almost repeated in different words and ways but otherwise brilliant book and some parts had me crying it was so heartbreaking! Overall a good read and insight into a family affected by knife crime. Brooke's determination and campaigning is inspirational. The book deserves more recognition as its a true honest account of a family affected by knife crime and teenage murder.
June 3, 2010
One out of very, very few books that has actually made me cry. It ought to be more recognized!
October 22, 2017
What a beautiful tribute to a sorely missed young man just reaching the start of his adult life by his sister, Brooke.
Brooke was famous for being in Eastenders and this brought the case a lot of attention that Brooke uses to campaign against knife crime, sentencing and the way the Courts have no divide between the accused and the victim's families.
A really sad, heartbreaking account of Ben who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let us hope lessons are learned.
Brooke was famous for being in Eastenders and this brought the case a lot of attention that Brooke uses to campaign against knife crime, sentencing and the way the Courts have no divide between the accused and the victim's families.
A really sad, heartbreaking account of Ben who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let us hope lessons are learned.
September 16, 2020
BEN
I can't begin to imagine what this wonderful family have gone through,but I'm sure Ben would be very proud of them,in his short life he made a big impression on everyone who knew him. RIP Ben.
I can't begin to imagine what this wonderful family have gone through,but I'm sure Ben would be very proud of them,in his short life he made a big impression on everyone who knew him. RIP Ben.
October 20, 2009
this book is about a sisters love for her brother each chapter has it own empathy, revealing a warmth seemingly not to exist in others, including my own family.
but then maybe i don't socialise that much these days... this expectancy follows through the whole of the book ( as a hospital-porter of the 1970's) we were taught how to "dress a body".... which is the term used in the hospital environment. and understand how some relatives would always say they would have did it different also the nature of his death by the psychotic actions that young seam to accept as normal is frighting at the very least brings the question "why" has this chaos been allowed to continue
there attempt to stop him having a tattoo, he did..... to commemorate his sisters ! three stars in various size's on his leg...
and the story written by Ben....found later... after his death fiction, Déjà vu who knows
about a incident. chillingly similar. to his demise
QUOTE.....( with a dark smile the killer holds a phone-camera for a mere picture
used to broadcast this monstrosity of society, that it had become....)
midnight candle Virgil, rallies, understanding knife-crime- -u.k, meeting the prime-minaster. uk.gordon brown, visiting new-york schools, getting there perspective. .
out side the old-bailey criminal-court u.k.... after the guilty verdict....
the intimidation, the pure nastiness, of certain people what they put us through
as the law ran its full course.. against this atrocity they created, like a cancer cell waiting to live at the expense of others ...
the joy, the sorrow and the solution,.. if one person can make a difference it is BROOKE KINSELLA...
I'll leave you with a poem by rod mcluen..."Ben' s thoughts from above"
we may meet again on some train street or at the end of some train of thought, except me as i am, or what i could have been.
Why Ben?: A Sister's Story of Heartbreak and Love for the ...
Why Ben?: A Sister's Story of Heartbreak and Love for the Brother She Lost: Amazon.com. ... Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book. Why Ben? ...
amazon.co.uk/gp/product/ 1847398472?ie= UTF8&... - 200k - Cached
but then maybe i don't socialise that much these days... this expectancy follows through the whole of the book ( as a hospital-porter of the 1970's) we were taught how to "dress a body".... which is the term used in the hospital environment. and understand how some relatives would always say they would have did it different also the nature of his death by the psychotic actions that young seam to accept as normal is frighting at the very least brings the question "why" has this chaos been allowed to continue
there attempt to stop him having a tattoo, he did..... to commemorate his sisters ! three stars in various size's on his leg...
and the story written by Ben....found later... after his death fiction, Déjà vu who knows
about a incident. chillingly similar. to his demise
QUOTE.....( with a dark smile the killer holds a phone-camera for a mere picture
used to broadcast this monstrosity of society, that it had become....)
midnight candle Virgil, rallies, understanding knife-crime- -u.k, meeting the prime-minaster. uk.gordon brown, visiting new-york schools, getting there perspective. .
out side the old-bailey criminal-court u.k.... after the guilty verdict....
the intimidation, the pure nastiness, of certain people what they put us through
as the law ran its full course.. against this atrocity they created, like a cancer cell waiting to live at the expense of others ...
the joy, the sorrow and the solution,.. if one person can make a difference it is BROOKE KINSELLA...
I'll leave you with a poem by rod mcluen..."Ben' s thoughts from above"
we may meet again on some train street or at the end of some train of thought, except me as i am, or what i could have been.
Why Ben?: A Sister's Story of Heartbreak and Love for the ...
Why Ben?: A Sister's Story of Heartbreak and Love for the Brother She Lost: Amazon.com. ... Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book. Why Ben? ...
amazon.co.uk/gp/product/ 1847398472?ie= UTF8&... - 200k - Cached
October 22, 2015
Why Ben? is a book that not only details the death of the 16-year-old Ben Kinsella in a random knifing in London in 2008, but is an emotional look at how his elder sister and their family dealt with their grief. It also details Brooke Kinsella’s anti-knife campaigning and her research into various sentencing and punishment methods both in the UK and U.S.
It was a book that I was pleasantly surprised to find that I couldn’t put down and probably got through quicker than any other book I’ve ever read and even found it inspirational. I definitely recommend everyone reads it.
It was a book that I was pleasantly surprised to find that I couldn’t put down and probably got through quicker than any other book I’ve ever read and even found it inspirational. I definitely recommend everyone reads it.
July 29, 2014
Very evocative and emotional. Brooke was very brave to write such an honest account of the year following her brother's death.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews