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When Normal Blew Up: The Story of the People Who Died and the People Who Lived On
by
2017 INDIES Winner - Bronze, True Crime (Nonfiction)
2017 B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner
In 1967, in the small town of Circleville, Ohio, a man walked into an old-fashioned drug store on a busy Saturday and laid a smoking package on the pharmacy counter in the back. He shouted for everyone to leave, he had a bomb.
Five people died that day, leaving five spouses and ...more
2017 B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner
In 1967, in the small town of Circleville, Ohio, a man walked into an old-fashioned drug store on a busy Saturday and laid a smoking package on the pharmacy counter in the back. He shouted for everyone to leave, he had a bomb.
Five people died that day, leaving five spouses and ...more
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Kindle Edition, 172 pages
Published
March 23rd 2017
by Red Raku Press
(first published 2017)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of When Normal Blew Up: The Story of the People Who Died and the People Who Lived On
Loved this book! The book took me back to my childhood days and growing up in the seventies. The book is well written and speaks of domestic violence and the wide impact it had on so many families due to the horrific bombing that took place in the small town of Circleville, OH. Highly recommend!
true story about an explosion at a pharmacy in Circleville Ohio in 1967
told by a daughter many years later whose father died in the accident
told by a daughter many years later whose father died in the accident
Many small towns experience tragedies such as tornadoes, floods and in the case of Circleville, Ohio, a bombing of a neighborhood pharmacy and soda fountain that killed a number of town residents. My interest in this story resulted from Circleville being the childhood home of my wife and she had shared her experience of this disaster with me long before this book was published. It is the story of a dysfunctional husband that for some reason thought the pharmacy where his wife worked or their emp
...more
Originally from Circleville but in 1967 was living in California (graduated from LEHS in 1964). But I heard all the details from my pare TS and knew of some of the people it involved. Such a senseless act by an obviously very disturbed man. So SAD. I look back at those years and how domestic violence was overlooked. It was and continues to be a huge problem in families.
This is a very interesting story and it is quite surprising that it took nearly 50 years for it to be researched and told. Joni Foster began her journey simply to understand what happened, and later determined it could/should be a book that covered much more than her own family's experience. I'm glad she did. There are dozens of unanswered questions and she is very disciplined at not guessing answers where none were found, given the passage of time and the loss of many whose memories might have
...more
Tragic Story
This book is written about an unbelievable "incident" that happened in a small town in Ohio. The author tells about a man, not able to handle the changes in his and in society, who blows up a small business in town. Several people were killed and the effects of it lasted for lifetime s of those affected. An interesting book.
This book is written about an unbelievable "incident" that happened in a small town in Ohio. The author tells about a man, not able to handle the changes in his and in society, who blows up a small business in town. Several people were killed and the effects of it lasted for lifetime s of those affected. An interesting book.
We are proud to announce that WHEN NORMAL BLEW UP: The Story of the People Who Died and the People Who Lived on by Joni Foster is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
This was a well-written, interesting look at a small-town tragedy and how it impacted so many. Really informative depiction of the early 60's and hidden domestic violence.
I grew up in this town. Very interesting book!
A very interesting book. Usually, non-fiction books aren't this interesting or this compelling to read. If you want a true story to read you will love this one.
What a book!
I wanted to know what happened in our town. So many lives were changed.
I wanted to know what happened in our town. So many lives were changed.
An Interesting but Somewhat Incomplete Book
This book was recommended by a friend who, I believe may have either a familial connection or friendship with the author. I found the idea a bit horrifying--a young girl's father is murdered when she is quite young. I cannot fault in any way the veracity of the reporting for the research material is extensive and well documented. Unfortunately, the writing is so sterile that it just sits on the page with no life. I wish there was more suspense, mor ...more
This book was recommended by a friend who, I believe may have either a familial connection or friendship with the author. I found the idea a bit horrifying--a young girl's father is murdered when she is quite young. I cannot fault in any way the veracity of the reporting for the research material is extensive and well documented. Unfortunately, the writing is so sterile that it just sits on the page with no life. I wish there was more suspense, mor ...more
Joni Foster did an amazing job detailing this tragic event while spending the majority of the story highlight the heroic efforts of individuals, family members, and the community of Circleville. This was an emotional and powerful story that caused me to pause and reflect after each chapter. Thank you for the insight into this event and for honoring members of this community, as well as the community as a whole.
Memory of fear
This simple straightforward account of the biggest tragedy to hit my hometown brought back the abject fear I felt when I heard the news. My family usually were in Bingmans on Saturday . that Saturday they were home but the realization of his easily all could be lost has stayed with me since.
This simple straightforward account of the biggest tragedy to hit my hometown brought back the abject fear I felt when I heard the news. My family usually were in Bingmans on Saturday . that Saturday they were home but the realization of his easily all could be lost has stayed with me since.
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