Through the Glass
by Shannon Moroney
One month into their marriage, Shannon Moroney's husband kidnapped and
violently assaulted two women.
In her book, Through the Glass, Shannon describes the events leading up to and following her husband's crimes, and shares her personal struggle to cope with the
devastating aftermath of these events.
Shannon met her husband, Jason, while volunteering at a local soup kitchen.
They developed a friendship and shared an immediate attraction to each other. On their first date, Jason disclosed a dark fact about his past: when he was 18, he committed unpremeditated murder on his older female roommate, with whom he had been having an affair.
Now in his 30s, Jason had served several years in prison and was currently working at the soup kitchen as part of his parole
release.
This revelation shocked Shannon. She had a hard time picturing the sweet, funny, well-liked man she knew as someone capable of committing such a crime. Yet while she was horrified by his past actions, she
respected his honesty about his past.
To Shannon, Jason seemed truly repentant and reformed, accepting responsibility for his actions and working hard to give back to the community.
At Jason's suggestion, Shannon spent the next few months meeting with his parole officer and psychiatrist, discussing his crime and his rehabilitation. These professionals told her what she already believed: Jason was a reformed man who posed no further threat to society.
After months of discussion with these professionals, as well as with seeing Jason casually as friends and exploring dating other men as well, Shannon realized that she was in love with Jason.
She believed he was no longer a threat to anybody, and she decided to officially start dating him. As their relationship progressed, they shared his past with her friends and family, most of whom felt the same way as: Jason was a reformed man, deserving of a second chance.
After dating for three years, Shannon and Jason were married. They had been married just one short month when a police officer arrived at Shannon's door to tell her the horrific news of her husband's crimes.
Through the Glass tells of Shannon's struggles to cope with the loss of all the hopes and dreams that she once had for her and Jason's future together; the pain she feels for his victims; the judgement, blame, and persecution she encounters from former friends, co-workers, and members of her community; her attempt to understand what happened; and her efforts to heal from the shock, trauma, and betrayal of her husband's crimes.
This book is an engrossing a thought-provoking look at the impacts of crime on the family and friends of perpetrators, as well as exploring the shortcomings of the
Canadian justice system.
At its core, Through the Glass is a story of human resilience, compassion, and forgiveness. Fans of true crime and/or autobiographies will enjoy this book.
Reviewed by Teresa DeReis, reader's
advisory assistant at the Prince George Public Library.
