Chris Lewis met Kendrick Lott in the summer of 1993 at St. Philip’s Episcopal School in Dallas, where the two held summer jobs as camp counselors. Chris, a Morehouse College student, had graduated from St. Mark’s School of Texas one year earlier. Kendrick planned to attend Morehouse in the fall. But instead of becoming Morehouse “brothers”, the teens died together, brutally slain by two drugged-out gang-bangers, looking for someone to carjack.

Chris was Joy Strickland’s son. This book is her inspirational memoir of unspeakable tragedy, healing, and profound change. Joy in the Morning is a valiant contribution to the field of grief memoirs. Here is that rare title written by the mother of a murdered child. Strickland punctuates her story with original poems, which complement the narrative, offering depth and texture.

Strickland, a former IBM marketing executive, is founder and CEO of Mothers Against Teen Violence in Dallas. She says, “I have written this book, believing that my experience will encourage others to see their challenges as opportunities for personal transformation. I believe healing and wholeness are accessible to us all; that joy is our divine right. Sharing this message is an important part of my life’s purpose.”