Rare Bird, A Book Review

I started reading Anna’s blog, An Inch of Gray, after her twelve-year old son Jack was lost in a freak flash flood.  I was directed there by another blogger,  I cannot remember who.  It could have been  from a tweet or a mention on their blog, the details are sketchy.

I do however, remember the pain I felt when I read her story.

I remember wondering how in the world a mother could endure such a loss.   I looked up to ask God, “Why?”  I put myself in her shoes for just a second and then realized I did not want to even go there, and so I promptly took my feet out of those imaginary shoes.

I continued to read Anna’s blog off and on, mostly to check in on her.  Was she doing alright? Was she going to survive this?  What about her daughter and her husband?

I became closer to Anna through the world of the internet.  I learned more about her and her family and I was so happy to meet her back in January of this year.  I was able to hug her and have dinner with her and simply get to know her, not just as a voice on the internet, about loss and grief, but as a person doing her best to live on, even with such tragedy in her life.

 

 

Yes, she’s a real person, just like you and me.  A mother and wife and daughter and sister and friend who unexpectedly lost her only son.  She has an amazing smile and an even more amazing spirit.  And even a calm about her that I wish I could emulate.

 

And what really amazed me about her book is that she was even able to write it.

Because, as a mother myself, I simply cannot fathom getting out of bed, much less reliving the pain and grief she has survived, enough to write about it.

 

However, as she tells her story, you come to realize that even through profound loss, she has much to live for.  The struggles are there but not without the support of her family, friends and even her God.  One who, despite adversity, is there for her, through it all.

Anna writes,

“Signs remind me that the God I believe in is active right now, pouring compassion out on my own little hurting life.  And that Jack’s soul is alive and well.  I take them not as a shout, but as a caress, or a holy whisper:  ‘I’m here… Never will I leave you or forsake you… Didn’t Jack say nothing is impossible with God?‘”

Her writing is engulfing from the first chapter to the last, as she helps you get to know her as a person and then keeps you there for the aftermath of suddenly losing a child.

The things that struck me the most about Rare Bird is first, how Anna gives us such a truthful understanding of what a parent (especially a mother) is going through when their child is gone too soon.  And along with that, at least in her case, she makes it known that she does not believe God has abandoned her.  Quite the opposite, actually.  She reminds us that even though bad shit happens, He is still there for us and that of course, is when we need Him the most.

 

I am so grateful to have received an advance copy of Anna’s book.  It is a beautiful testament to life after loss.  It is honest and brave and wonderfully written.  I encourage anyone to read it, but especially anyone who has lost a child or someone so close to them.

“Even in the midst of heartbreak, hope rises.” – Anna Whiston-Donaldson

 

Thank you, Anna, for sharing this with us.  And for sharing Jack.  Love you, girl. 

 

 

You can pre-order Rare Bird: A Memoir of Love and Loss here.  Don’t miss out  on this amazing read…