Out this month is the story of 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, a "bundle of sunshine" who was killed January while in line to meet her congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords. Among the six victims who were fatally wounded that day, Christina-Taylor was by far the youngest. With Jerry B. Jenkins, her mother, Roxanna Green, has told her daughter’s story in "As Good As She Imagined: The Redeeming Story of the Angel of Tucson" (Worthy Publishing) to carry on the legacy that her family believes she was destined to leave behind.

Christina-Taylor Green’s birth and death both occurred on tragic days in American history, with her life beginning on September 11, 2001 and ending with the Arizona shooting. Christina-Taylor’s mother recounts that as a child her daughter didn’t at first realize her birthday fell on a day that was not a holiday but really a day of somber remembrance. Nonetheless, her parents taught her that she was proof of a positive thing to come out of that day. Green’s book seeks to argue that, while the circumstances of Christina-Taylor’s death were tragic, in seeking peace and focusing on her daughter’s positive spirit, her friends and family can move on from the horror, never forgetting their "princess."

Christina-Taylor’s death was not only tied to a major historical event but had legal implications as well, putting into motion emergency legislation prohibiting protesting within 300 feet of her funeral. (A similar law was enacted in 2006, regarding funerals of U.S. soldiers.) Such an outcome is both bittersweet and ironic, as Christina-Taylor had political aspirations uncommon to others in her age group. She did not want to see Giffords simply for her celebrity status but rather went prepared to ask the politician about global warming.

Green’s book is full of detail—too much—but at times the detail is there perhaps to recreate for readers each horrific moment that Green had to experience on the day she lost her daughter, and in the aftermath. As Green tells of going to the emergency room and being unaware that a shooting had even occurred, the pace of her writing can find a reader just wanting to get the story over with, to rip off the bandage of the horrific conclusion that comes when Green learns the reality of the situation and says goodbye to her daughter. Several details of the book are, as one would imagine, heartbreaking, yet Green repeatedly explains that it is important to her and her husband, John, to carry on positively as Christina-Taylor would have wanted.

Chapters are capped with verses from the Bible (as well as with play-by-play dispatches of events surrounding the shooting), and Green mentions several times that her Christian faith is what has gotten her through the past year. Otherwise the book is primarily a recounting of the day of the shooting and several thereafter, listing several names of friends who helped support the family and transcripts of messages received from sympathetic celebrities and politicians.

The closeness of the Green family is inspiring and offers hope to readers that this unit that was strong prior to tragedy will see its way through. Some of the most touching portions of the book are those that describe Christina-Taylor’s relationship with her older brother, Dallas. Dallas, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, was very close to his sister, who was both a calming influence on him as well as a playmate and best friend. Green writes that the two "rarely squabbled and were always quick to hug … each other."

Green’s story includes preliminary chapters that discuss the sudden death of her mother and her struggles with Dallas’ individual needs, both occurring prior to Christina-Taylor’s death. These offer insight into the larger story of the Green family, but they could have been pared down.
            
While the story is certainly one of heartbreak for the Green family, and one that patriotic Americans will likely treasure, it is not a particularly uplifting read, as it spends a great deal of time recounting the days of Christina-Taylor’s death and funeral. If readers want to know the ins and outs of Green’s struggle and fight for renewed peace, they can pick up a copy of this book, which is indeed a quick read.

However—and with genuine due respect to the Green family—searching YouTube for interviews with Green and her husband seem to be a sufficient alternative for gathering the basic knowledge surrounding Christina-Taylor’s story.

For those who want to support the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation, some of the proceeds from book sales benefit the organization. —Bailey Brewer