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Surviving: A Kent State Memoir
An eyewitness account to an event that changed history Nerdy innocent Patty is desperate to escape the confines of a conservative upbringing, but when she enrolls at Kent State University can she survive the upheaval of the Seventies Vietnam War era? When she narrowly escapes the bullets fired at students on May 4, 1970, she resolves to dedicate her life to her new husband and her unborn child. Is it too late when she realizes she’s put herself in even greater danger? In a stunning parallel to our own times, A Kent State Memoir, explores the coming of age of a young adult. In an era as divisive as today’s, Patty witnesses one of the events that became a turning point in public sentiment toward the War in Vietnam. On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen fired on students at Kent State, protesting the invasion of Cambodia and the Vietnam War. They left four dead and nine injured. Standing thirty yards in front of the Guard when fired, Patty’s story is one of survival. She heals in the weeks following May 4, as she awaits the birth of her baby. Her due date nears but problems arise as her husband becomes increasingly violent. Rejected by her family and without societal protections against marital abuse in place today, she is on her own. In an unexpected turn of events, she is freed from danger, only to have to learn to survive on her own. This journey of resilience follows her from her years as a naïve Catholic schoolgirl through her time at Kent State to her development as a journalist and mother. Her quest for peace and understanding in the face of such a massacre leads her to become a psychologist.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2019
34 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Paula Stone Tucker
1 book7 followersPaula Stone Tucker is the award-winning author of Surviving: A Kent State Memoir. She is a survivor of the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970. Her experiences at Kent State helped her to grow into a resilient woman who doesn't give up easily. She enjoys writing about families, relationships, and quirky situations. She is a self-proclaimed fan of James Patterson, Roxane Gay, and Fay Weldon as well as a lover of classical literature.
She spends her days writing and brainstorming with other authors. She loves her new life in Florida, far from the cold Northeast Ohio winters.
She's also a social media enthusiast. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.
How did she get into writing? Paula got her first "rejection" letter in fourth grade when Sr. Mary Joan handed back her Br'er Rabbit story with "What is this?" written across the top in bold red letters. After explaining that she had written the story in a southern dialect, she heard "Stick to normal writing from now on!" Earth-shattering to a nine-year-old.
In high school, she discovered journalism, wrote for the newspaper, and edited the yearbook. At Kent State, where she fell in love with writing, she held many different positions on the Daily Kent Stater and was copy editor of the yearbook—The Burr. In the real world, she wrote society items for the local Record-Courier and eventually landed her dream job, reporting for the Akron Beacon Journal.
Unfortunately, newspaper work didn't pay enough, so she left for a series of slightly-better paying jobs, editing newsletters, and teaching journalism. In the end, her experiences led her to therapy and then to the study of clinical psychology. After almost thirty years as a psychologist, she retired to Akron, Ohio. She took up writing again and in 2019 published her first book, Surviving: A Kent State Memoir about her days at Kent and her witness to the May 4, 1970 shooting of thirteen students there.
Today, she lives in The Villages, Florida, where she is a member of several authors' groups. She spends her time writing and enjoying the sunshine.
Her favorite books? So many! Educated, A Tale of Two Cities, Gone Girl, The Silent Patient, Little Fires Everywhere, The Handmaid’s Tale, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Great Alone, Catch 22, The Catcher in the Rye, Bad Feminist, Hillbilly Elegy, The Joy Luck Club, Matterhorn.
Authors? Joseph Heller, J.D. Salinger, Roxanne Gay, Charles Dickens, Margaret Atwood, William Shakespeare.
Where does she hope to be in the next few years? Still enjoying life in The Villages, writing, golfing, and painting.
You can find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin, or at paulastonetucker.com
She spends her days writing and brainstorming with other authors. She loves her new life in Florida, far from the cold Northeast Ohio winters.
She's also a social media enthusiast. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.
How did she get into writing? Paula got her first "rejection" letter in fourth grade when Sr. Mary Joan handed back her Br'er Rabbit story with "What is this?" written across the top in bold red letters. After explaining that she had written the story in a southern dialect, she heard "Stick to normal writing from now on!" Earth-shattering to a nine-year-old.
In high school, she discovered journalism, wrote for the newspaper, and edited the yearbook. At Kent State, where she fell in love with writing, she held many different positions on the Daily Kent Stater and was copy editor of the yearbook—The Burr. In the real world, she wrote society items for the local Record-Courier and eventually landed her dream job, reporting for the Akron Beacon Journal.
Unfortunately, newspaper work didn't pay enough, so she left for a series of slightly-better paying jobs, editing newsletters, and teaching journalism. In the end, her experiences led her to therapy and then to the study of clinical psychology. After almost thirty years as a psychologist, she retired to Akron, Ohio. She took up writing again and in 2019 published her first book, Surviving: A Kent State Memoir about her days at Kent and her witness to the May 4, 1970 shooting of thirteen students there.
Today, she lives in The Villages, Florida, where she is a member of several authors' groups. She spends her time writing and enjoying the sunshine.
Her favorite books? So many! Educated, A Tale of Two Cities, Gone Girl, The Silent Patient, Little Fires Everywhere, The Handmaid’s Tale, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Great Alone, Catch 22, The Catcher in the Rye, Bad Feminist, Hillbilly Elegy, The Joy Luck Club, Matterhorn.
Authors? Joseph Heller, J.D. Salinger, Roxanne Gay, Charles Dickens, Margaret Atwood, William Shakespeare.
Where does she hope to be in the next few years? Still enjoying life in The Villages, writing, golfing, and painting.
You can find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin, or at paulastonetucker.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 28, 2020
Thrilled that my book Surviving: A Kent State Memoir, was named one of the 20 best Northeast Ohio books of 2020 by the Akron Beacon Journal! Click below to get it on Amazon. It's a gripping, emotional page-turner with a twist that will take your breath away.
September 10, 2022
It was an interesting read, but not for those expecting a deep dive of the Kent State Shootings. It is more a reflection of one young woman’s experiences transitioning from a strict Catholic upbringing to her time at KSU during those years during and after the Shootings.
July 2, 2020
I could not put this book down! The only thing that kept me from finishing this book in one sitting was a back spasm and Tylenol P.M.!!! Paula is a former colleague of mine and we share a Kent State background. With that being said, I enjoyed the mention of old places, cars and radio stations with which I was familiar. I even owned a Ford Falcon when attending KSU.
Paula’s story is new to me. Although we were colleagues we never had the chance to discuss our pasts. I knew her professional talents were top-notch but now I see the grit and moxie she has as I learned a piece of her story. It was a turbulent time for many but especially challenging for Paula. She survived Kent State and made the world a better place. Kudos to my colleague!
Paula’s story is new to me. Although we were colleagues we never had the chance to discuss our pasts. I knew her professional talents were top-notch but now I see the grit and moxie she has as I learned a piece of her story. It was a turbulent time for many but especially challenging for Paula. She survived Kent State and made the world a better place. Kudos to my colleague!
November 10, 2019
This is the best book about the 1970 Kent State massacres that I have ever read.
It intertwines a moment that changed American history with a time that changed a pregnant coed's life forever. Both nation and the central character struggled and survived.
A mesmerizing tale.
It intertwines a moment that changed American history with a time that changed a pregnant coed's life forever. Both nation and the central character struggled and survived.
A mesmerizing tale.
June 9, 2021
Surviving is a memoir written from the perspective of a woman who was attending Kent State in 1970 when the National Guard opened fire on students protesting Richard Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia. Four students were killed. Nine others were wounded including one of the protesters who was paralyzed.
I was also in college when the massacre occurred. I remember the news coverage and first hearing the Neil Young song, “Ohio.” This book contains a unique perspective on the shootings because the narrator, Patty, lived near the school and was a journalism major who was working at the college radio station and newspaper. She was there when the killings occurred. She was covering the event and had also been at previous protests on the campus. One aspect I found particularly interesting was the different attitudes of the students and the townies, even Patty's own family. Her mother's reaction when Patty told her she'd been at the protest was, “You were there? You should have been shot.”
This memoir is not exclusively about the massacre. Most of the book is about a young woman's struggles with problems typical of many college students: financial issues, academic issues and relationship issues. Patty's relationship issues are particularly hard, sometimes because of bad luck, but other times because of poor decisions.
The writing feels honest. Patty's emotions are not diminished into good or bad, but instead show the complexities of her life and the struggles of growing up in the late sixties and early seventies. I recommend Surviving to anyone who likes honest memoirs and also to people who are looking for a different perspective on the Kent State massacre.
I was also in college when the massacre occurred. I remember the news coverage and first hearing the Neil Young song, “Ohio.” This book contains a unique perspective on the shootings because the narrator, Patty, lived near the school and was a journalism major who was working at the college radio station and newspaper. She was there when the killings occurred. She was covering the event and had also been at previous protests on the campus. One aspect I found particularly interesting was the different attitudes of the students and the townies, even Patty's own family. Her mother's reaction when Patty told her she'd been at the protest was, “You were there? You should have been shot.”
This memoir is not exclusively about the massacre. Most of the book is about a young woman's struggles with problems typical of many college students: financial issues, academic issues and relationship issues. Patty's relationship issues are particularly hard, sometimes because of bad luck, but other times because of poor decisions.
The writing feels honest. Patty's emotions are not diminished into good or bad, but instead show the complexities of her life and the struggles of growing up in the late sixties and early seventies. I recommend Surviving to anyone who likes honest memoirs and also to people who are looking for a different perspective on the Kent State massacre.
January 7, 2021
This is a good quick read. To me it was a coming of age story as the you ride with the author through her life story from her late teens into her twenties. You get a glance at the Kent State tragedy along with her feelings towards her boyfriend and parents. Her use of adjectives and her descriptions put me, as the reader, right in her shoes. I particularly laughed at her experience in working for Ohio Bell in the late 60's. It saddened me, however, to read of her experience on the day of the Kent State killings. A day which I remember and always get a chill up my spine when I hear the National Guard is being called in to quell a situation.
I would recommend this book to a young female freshman in college along with parents of the same. The current day student will be comforted to know her feelings about boys aren't unusual. Parents will find out how kids feel about them and what their comments do to their offspring.
I would recommend this book to a young female freshman in college along with parents of the same. The current day student will be comforted to know her feelings about boys aren't unusual. Parents will find out how kids feel about them and what their comments do to their offspring.
May 17, 2024
I just read book called "Surviving: A Kent State Memoir" and it was really good. The book takes you back to what happened at Kent State in 1970. It made me feel like I was there.
I got interested in the book because I like learning about history and how it affects people's lives. This memoir gave me a personal look at what it was like for the people who were there during the Kent State shootings. That's what made me want to read it.
The book was really gripping and emotional. The author did a great job of describing what it was like there. It's the kind of book that sticks with you after you finish reading it. I liked how the author was honest about their experiences.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone in high school who wants to learn more about an important moment in history. It's a powerful read that shows you what it was like for the people who were there. It makes you think about how people can stay strong even when things are tough.
I got interested in the book because I like learning about history and how it affects people's lives. This memoir gave me a personal look at what it was like for the people who were there during the Kent State shootings. That's what made me want to read it.
The book was really gripping and emotional. The author did a great job of describing what it was like there. It's the kind of book that sticks with you after you finish reading it. I liked how the author was honest about their experiences.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone in high school who wants to learn more about an important moment in history. It's a powerful read that shows you what it was like for the people who were there. It makes you think about how people can stay strong even when things are tough.
August 11, 2025
“I haven’t had the chance to read A Kent State Memoir yet, but the synopsis alone gave me chills. The idea of standing just thirty yards away from the gunfire on May 4, 1970, and surviving to tell the story is incredibly powerful. Patty’s journey from a sheltered Catholic schoolgirl to a woman navigating violence, motherhood, and independence feels both heartbreaking and inspiring. I can already sense that this is more than just a memoir; it’s a testament to resilience, courage, and the fight to find your own voice in a world that can be both cruel and transformative. If the writing delivers on even half of what this synopsis promises, it’s going to be unforgettable.”
May 10, 2022
Wow...this was a wasted read
If you're deciding on this book based on reviews, consider that you can typically toss out 5 star reviews because those people have some vested interest in the university, etc.
I was a college sophomore during Kent State and was looking forward to an inside story of what I recalled. This story was 10-15 pages of history, and nearly 300 pages of personal drivel from a co-ed. If you're looking for a narrative of the Kent State massacre and the aftermath, avoid this book.
If you're deciding on this book based on reviews, consider that you can typically toss out 5 star reviews because those people have some vested interest in the university, etc.
I was a college sophomore during Kent State and was looking forward to an inside story of what I recalled. This story was 10-15 pages of history, and nearly 300 pages of personal drivel from a co-ed. If you're looking for a narrative of the Kent State massacre and the aftermath, avoid this book.
May 31, 2022
Enlightening!
What a great Book.I It was not what I thought It would be about.I also was against the War,but out of respect for the brave Military who fought it I feel it was a crime and a shame the way they were treated when they finally got to come home.It just breaks my heart to read all the names on the Moving War.Thank you for your service!
What a great Book.I It was not what I thought It would be about.I also was against the War,but out of respect for the brave Military who fought it I feel it was a crime and a shame the way they were treated when they finally got to come home.It just breaks my heart to read all the names on the Moving War.Thank you for your service!
June 14, 2022
Enlightening
In the midst of turmoil in the country, the unthinkable happened in place that is supposed to be a safe zone. Picking up the pieces again and again, this one woman's tale in the moment and after as she heals.
In the midst of turmoil in the country, the unthinkable happened in place that is supposed to be a safe zone. Picking up the pieces again and again, this one woman's tale in the moment and after as she heals.
August 21, 2024
Wow Paula Stone Tucker sure went through a lot in her young life, very good book and well written. Since I live in Akron and my daughter graduated from Kent state I know a lot of the areas she describes in her book.
June 24, 2021
This book has very little information about the Kent State shooting. It is more about the author's life before and after the shooting occurred.
May 13, 2022
I wish to thank the author for sharing her painful story.
May 14, 2022
Interesting insight; very well written!
March 5, 2023
A Typical 1970s Story
She has cold, distance parents and a mother who acts like she hates her. For comfort, she runs for the worst man she can. She
She has cold, distance parents and a mother who acts like she hates her. For comfort, she runs for the worst man she can. She
March 30, 2023
Pretty good.
This story was pretty good. I liked it a lot. Everyone needs to read this book. Great job. I didn't think it would end this way but it was good.
This story was pretty good. I liked it a lot. Everyone needs to read this book. Great job. I didn't think it would end this way but it was good.
September 28, 2025
interesting
December 14, 2025
I liked it but couldn't finish it. It was mostly about her and her son.
June 18, 2021
Misnamed, but Enlightening
This book is a coming of age tale for a young women reaching adulthood in the late 1960s. I enjoyed experiencing a young, inexperienced woman’s growing up. The author did an excellent job with the realism. I hope I was never as selfish, silly, or as clueless as Patty, but none of us are really adults until we get a handle on life.
The book gives you an excellent picture of 1968-1973, but the Kent State shootings are not its point. They are an incident in Patty’s life. The book does honor the history, though by showing how those who were there had to survive and move on after that May 4 day. This book does much better at illustrating how abusive relationships can happen and how they feel.
This book is a coming of age tale for a young women reaching adulthood in the late 1960s. I enjoyed experiencing a young, inexperienced woman’s growing up. The author did an excellent job with the realism. I hope I was never as selfish, silly, or as clueless as Patty, but none of us are really adults until we get a handle on life.
The book gives you an excellent picture of 1968-1973, but the Kent State shootings are not its point. They are an incident in Patty’s life. The book does honor the history, though by showing how those who were there had to survive and move on after that May 4 day. This book does much better at illustrating how abusive relationships can happen and how they feel.
February 25, 2020
Beautifully written memoir of a young woman coming of age in a tumultuous time in America's history. A compelling story that was hard to put down, it had me asking, "What happened next?" I look forward to reading Paula Stone Tucker's next work.
November 8, 2019
Award winning author, Paula Stone Tucker weaves an extraordinary story of true-life American History. Set at Kent State University in Ohio, Tucker survived the brutal attack of soldiers against students. People remember where they were the day of the shooting, but the little details of that day are what make this book so rich. "I reached for the emergency dime in my purse." The details of the lottery style draft aired on National TV, brought up poignant memories of my own. A must-read book filled with details of life in the 60's and 70's.
November 9, 2019
I'm an avid reader of biographies and memoirs. This book captured me on so many different levels. Ms. Tucker's first-hand account of the Kent State shootings was extremely interesting as well as frightening.
Intertwined with that saga is her coming-of-age story - that of an innocent schoolgirl trying hard to bloom into a woman and suffering some daunting and dangerous disappointments along that journey.
The event that lifts her out of a dangerous life situation is unexpected and shocking. Rarely have I read such raw and honest decriptors of feelings and emotions as she expresses as a result of this particular event.
This is a great and uplifting memoir!
Intertwined with that saga is her coming-of-age story - that of an innocent schoolgirl trying hard to bloom into a woman and suffering some daunting and dangerous disappointments along that journey.
The event that lifts her out of a dangerous life situation is unexpected and shocking. Rarely have I read such raw and honest decriptors of feelings and emotions as she expresses as a result of this particular event.
This is a great and uplifting memoir!
January 5, 2020
The past remembered
A brutally honest recounting of a tragic time in our nation's history, and in the author's life. Kudos to Ms. Tucker for her honesty in discussing the personal events in her life in the months surrounding the horror of the Kent State massacre. I was a HS senior in May 4, 1970. Like many of my generation, I was angry and frustrated by the state of our world. Almost 50 years have passed, so much has changed...but much has not. Well-written and worth reading.
A brutally honest recounting of a tragic time in our nation's history, and in the author's life. Kudos to Ms. Tucker for her honesty in discussing the personal events in her life in the months surrounding the horror of the Kent State massacre. I was a HS senior in May 4, 1970. Like many of my generation, I was angry and frustrated by the state of our world. Almost 50 years have passed, so much has changed...but much has not. Well-written and worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews