One Day in April: A Hillsborough Story

A Mother’s Journey Through Love, Loss and Her Fight for Justice

By: Jenni Hicks

Narrated by: Jenni Hicks, Sue Johnston

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's summary

On the morning of Saturday 15th April 1989, Jenni Hicks, her husband and their two teenage daughters, Sarah and Vicki, went to watch a football match. That was to be their last day as a family. Sarah and Vicki didn't come home, and Jenni's world was changed forever.

Since that fateful day, Jenni has tirelessly campaigned for justice for her own and others' families. But this is not the story of the Hillsborough tragedy. This is a story of what came before and after that day: of a mother's love, her unimaginable bravery, a flame of hope that never died and a quest for justice that has lasted three decades. It is a journey that has taken her from Allerton Cemetery to the Courts of Appeal, from the depths of despair to meetings with prime ministers and royalty.

With the final court cases coming to a conclusion in spring 2021, Jenni's role as the longest serving committee member of the Hillsborough Family Support Group is coming to an end—and she can finally give herself permission to grieve solely as a mother, rather than as a campaigner.

One Day in April is the first time that Jenni has spoken about her story in full and is a unique and poignant tribute to the lives that Sarah and Vicki lost, and the final word from the extraordinary mother they left behind.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Jenni Hicks (P)2022 Orion Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"By a woman at the very heart of the Hillsborough story, this book is utterly gripping." (Jimmy McGovern, screenwriter for film Hillsborough)

An engrossing and heartbreaking story

A haunting and engrossing tale of a mother's love, a national tragedy, and the fight for justice that took decades to win. I wanted to understand what happened at Hillsborough and there aren't many books out there about it--fewer still on audio. I had reservations about picking this up because I was worried it would just be too depressing. But I'm so glad I chose to listen to this. While the story is tragic and you can feel the depth of this mother's anguish and pain at the loss of her daughters, she does an admirable job of keeping it balanced with her determination to honor her girls' memories and fight for justice for them. It was utterly engrossing to hear about the various twists and turns the case took, all the way up to the final winning of justice for the victims and exoneration for the fans. But even this is bittersweet, as no one is ever truly held accountable or punished for what happened that day. I was struck by how many of the survivors of that day and their loved ones ended up dying young, even when not due to injuries received at the disaster. It's as if the weight of the grief and trauma they endured just couldn't be outrun. I was left with a couple of questions where small gaps existed that I wish she'd filled in, but overall, this was an engrossing read that I couldn't put down for long, constantly returning to it whenever I could and thinking about it long after it was over. The narration was also top-notch. There are two narrators listed and I wish it had been more clear about who did each part, but the narrator who read the majority of the book was outstanding. I tend to think it was Jenni, as the raw emotion in her voice at various times in the book nearly brought me to tears. All in all, an inspiring and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after it's over.