Breaking Points

by Jack Hinckley, Jo Ann Hinckley, Elizabeth Sherrill

"I held my breath until they gave the gunman's name. I was afraid it was my son." This letter and others like it from anxious parents reached Jack and Jo Ann Hinckley after their son John shot President Reagan and three other men in 1981.

Ironically, the Hinckleys had no such fears. They had never recognized the danger signs in John's "typical" childhood. "A terrifying account of the unpredictability with which serious mental illness strikes...If out of the Hinckley's tragedy a better public awareness of the reality of mental illness results, then their suffering...will not have been in vain." --John A. Talbott, M.D., President, American Psychiatric Association

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

324 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Emily Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was actually really surprised at how much I liked this book. I knew I would find it interesting, but I was surprised to find that it was pretty well-written. I didn’t know what my opinions would be and how this book would shape them, as i know John Hinckley Jr was just released and is now living independently. I would be interested in better understanding how psychiatrists determine that someone like him is cured or rehabilitated and no longer a danger to himself or others. I wonder what John himself thinks of his previous thoughts and actions. I do think the guilty by reason of insanity verdict was the correct choice, but I wish there was an updated epilogue for 30 years later explaining how John is doing now. I definitely have a lot of sympathy for his parents and siblings and I’m impressed that his parents’ marriage survived during that time. On a personal note I did think it was a bit odd that the used copy I bought from a used book sale is autographed by Jack and Jo Ann….It seems a little off-putting to me to go on a book tour for this type of book so I am curious as to who owned this before and how/why they got it signed.

[Joanne Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I heard that John Hinckley was being released from St. Elizabeths and was going to live with his 90-year-old mother, I wanted to know more about his mother. While this book does give at glimpse of who she is, the writing is pretty mediocre. The narration supposedly flips back and forth between Hinckley's mother and father (so why is only the father listed as the author?), but there is no difference in voice between the two narrators. The book provides a good outline of the facts but offers little analysis or reflection.

[Paula Fahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was curious to read it when I heard Hinckley would be released. I've always been skeptical of the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity plea. I've also been quick to judge families who could raise someone like this and not know he is a danger to society. This book gave me a different perspective. I feel so sad for the entire family -- my heart goes out to everyone involved. It seems everyone is a victim in this situation.

The book isn't written in thoughtful prose or intended to be a masterpiece. It reads like a friend is telling you what happened. The details may not be important to the story, but they make it all feel so personal and honest.

[Mary Follis]

Attempted assassination of Reagan 3-30-81, events leading up to it, trial and aftermath. John found not guilty by reason of insanity after 16 month procedure and trial. Also shot were White House press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty.

Ironic to think that John Hinckley, whose parents just happen to be very rich, is the only presidential assassin to get home visits!

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book from the parents of the man who shot Reagan. Interesting historical detail coupled with a touching memoir.

[Linda Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful narrative regarding John Hinckley... written by his parents

[Marie Carmean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally immersed in this book, learning for the first time what lay behind the assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. I had no idea back in the 80s how manipulating the media could be. (Oh, the things I have learned since!) Nor did I realize what kinds of agony the families go through when a tragic crime is committed. I knew it must be horrible for everyone involved, but I did not know the extent of the agony.
The Hinckleys, parents of John Jr., share every moment of the ordeal. At first they had no idea that their son could be mentally ill. The kind of denial some families go through, and the idea that "tough love" will solve problems, is something few people think about until they are going through a trial like this. Once John had shot the President and three others, the reality of their son's illness came screaming into their lives. The fact that the prosecution in the case, as well as the media, basically convicted their son from day #1 made their struggle to reveal the truth an uphill battle. What the Hinckleys went through was a horror. Not only did they learn what their son had done, they also learned that he was very very sick. They were maligned in the press as a "rich" family, yet the small oil company they owned was failing....maligned as petting their son and not holding him responsible for his actions while growing up. Loan after loan had to be taken out to pay for the medical experts to examine their son, for their trips back and forth from Texas to Washington D.C., and for the attorneys.
The family had to fight the opinions of many that "not guilty by reason of insanity" should be removed from trial cases. They trusted the Lord to get them all through the ordeal. Their battles were fascinating, and their triumphs encouraging. The book is a wonderful testament to what can be done to help the mentally ill, as well as to survive as a family going through such an ordeal. I highly recommend it to every reader.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked on this book from the jump.

Might even be a 4.5 for me. It's surprisingly well written and extremely readable.

It's a fascinating perspective from the parents of John Hinckley, and struck me as extremely candid and honest. These two were clearly a regular mother and father trying their hardest to do their best by their troubled child, going on to experience an incredible tragedy.

It was, at first, hard for me to come to grips with the fact that they didn't really see their kid as mentally ill, and I kept waiting to read about them asking him deeply, what was driving this behavior? But as they admit, they were caught up in dealing with the consequences rather than the causes. And I have to remember, despite how much of the stigma around mental illness has now been shed, this was a completely different time. This wasn't something that was discussed or anywhere near top of mind.

I was genuinely riveted by this story. Despite never having gone through anything like this, I found myself feeling deep empathy for a distraught mother and father who found themselves in a parent's worst nightmare.

[Thomas Backman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thuroughly enjoyed this book. It shared an important perspective of the perpetrators family. The experiences of the authors were inspiring to read. I love how they never gave up on their son despite him trying to assassinate Ronald Regan. I think that everyone should read this book because it brings attention to the important issue if mental health and wellbeing.

[John Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Really explains how messed up this young guy was and his extreme restlessness and dissatisfaction, and his inability to attain any sort of success or fulfillment. So his life was directionless. He drifted from one thing and one place to another. And it was one step forward and 2 steps backwards. It makes you pity him. (I'm not defending him or excusing what he did). But you can see, by his never being able to get things going (combined with mental problems--which I guess was the cause for his inability to do anything that would lead to something productive, fulfilling or positive) how he could want to do something like kill a president. You also realize that he slipped into an entire fantasy world.