American Sniper Widow Taya Kyle Talks About Putting Hate For Her Husband’s Killer Behind Her In New Book

It might seem unimaginable for some, but Taya Kyle has decided to put her feelings for her husband’s killer, former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, behind her.

The widow of American Sniper Chris Kyle has penned a book, aptly titled American Wife: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith and Renewal, wherein she writes about her life with her husband and how she dealt with his shocking death.

In the memoir, Taya recalled that she struggled with the idea of her husband’s killer being executed. But in the end, she discovered that she was fine if he got either the death penalty or life in prison.

“That was as far as I could go toward forgiveness,” she admitted in her book. Her view might also stem from her belief that “life without parole may in fact be a worse punishment than death.”

It was a sentiment that she again reiterated in an exclusive interview she gave to ABC News‘ Robin Roberts.

“It’s okay not to understand all the reasons why. But to see how you can be better for it and what you can take away from it, how you can help others, because we all have something,” she told Roberts.

She added that while she hasn’t forgiven her husband’s killer, she has put hate behind her “because the moments where I had just disdain, disgust, like any focus on that person, it hurt me.”

The special 20/20 edition, which will be aired on May 1, is the first extensive interview the 40-year-old Taya has given since Routh was found guilty of shooting to death Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.

Taya described the life she had with Chris and said that “there is so much more to him” than just being the deadliest sniper in American history. At one point, she even joked about how she never “thought a cowboy would want me.”

The interview also delved into some painful memories, as the mother of two described how she broke the sad new to her children that their father was murdered.

Taya’s book reveals more of her and Chris’s story and her continuing journey as a mother and as an advocate for veteran’s families.

American Wife is being published by William Morrow. It’s also co-authored by Jim DeFelice, who also helped pen her husband’s bestselling book, American Sniper, a chronicle of Chris’ tours in Iraq.

The book has since been made into a movie by Clint Eastwood.

[Image via YouTube]