Out In Print reviews Compassion, Michigan by Raymond Luczak

cover of Compassion, Michigan by Raymond LuczakThis book is as much about Ironwood as it is about the women who lived and died there. Luczak includes many details about its geography and history; so much so, that I want to know how much of the setting is “real”–instead I went and looked up the Wikipedia article about Ironwood to compare. Set over most if its 130-year history, these stories retell Ironwood’s founding after the discovery of nearby lodes of iron ore, its expansion due to an influx of numerous immigrant communities, its booming heyday during the two World Wars, and eventual decline. “Yoopers” (for non-Midwesterners, this term describes inhabitants of the U. P. [Upper Peninsula] of Michigan) is a delightful story about acknowledging the unique qualities of where you grew up, whether you celebrate them or not.

If being unable to tell your story is a living death (if not a literal one) as Rebecca Solnit states in the book’s epigraph, then these stories are affirmations of these women’s lives and choices, regardless of the circumstances they had to withstand, or the mistakes they made.

Two of my favorites imagine lost glimpses into small-town life at the beginning of the twentieth century, which are also glimpses into lost LGBT history. “The Ways of Men” re-creates the life of a transman who leaves his privileged life in Detroit for the relative anonymity of Ironwood; according to Luczak, it is based on a true story (although most of it has been lost to time). “Beginnings” is the poignant story about a marriage of convenience between two teachers—and when it suddenly becomes inconvenient.

Read the full review on the Out In Print Blog

Lost But Found

978-1-61599-548-6
$12.95
A Boy's Story of Grief and Recovery
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-548-6
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Author: Lauren Persons
Illustrator: Noah Hrbek
Pages: 26
Publication Date: 12-01-2020

Lost But Found: A Boy’s Story of Grief and Recovery deals with one of the toughest issues a parent may ever have to face—explaining to a child that a loved one has died. Often, to protect them, children are left out of the grieving process. This book allows adults to travel with a young boy as he works to make sense of his loss—and, in turn, their own.

I wrote this book to allow children to ask questions, and talk about their fears and feelings. What I have found is that often children have better insights on these hard life questions than the adults in the room!

"The endearing simplicity and musicality of Lauren's words burst with unspoken emotion, leaving room for every child's experience. Noah's illustrations portray tender human contact, comforting young readers and the families who love them." -- Pegi Deitz Shea, award-winning children's book author

"Lost But Found is a sweet book with beautiful pictures that tackles grief at a developmental level for a very young child. The ambiguous term "to lose" somebody is demystified, as a young boy comes to understand what happened to his father, and how their connection lives on." -- Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Board Certified Psychologist and author, former Director of New York Association for Play Therapy

"Lost But Found is a brief story that faces a difficult and important topic--the loss of a parent. The story provides a two-pronged approach a caregiver can use as a starting point to approach this delicate topic with a child: a sense of perspective and hope for the future, and the idea that we, as children, can find “pieces” of our parents around us and inside us. I appreciate the incentive to reflect on and remember who the lost parent was and how he lives on through his child." -- Isabella Cassina, MA, TP-S, CAGS, PhD Student, Project Manager, Trainer and Continuing Education Program Administrator (CEPA), INA International Academy for Play Therapy studies and PsychoSocial Projects

"The story of Lost But Found is written to help children understand the loss of a loved one. It is never easy o talk with a child about this subject, and the author provides a tender, truthful and believable story. It is written from the heart and will serve as a conversation starter in assisting a child’s understanding of the grieving process. In addition, the beautiful illustrations provide the reader a sense that they are embraced and one with the story. I highly recommend this book for children and adults." -- Linda Cohen, Elementary School Principal

"At any age, understanding death is confusing and complex. It is especially so for children. In Lost But Found, author Lauren Persons gently removes some of the mystery around loss and invites children into a comforting conversation around lasting belonging and hope. Illustrations by Noah Hrbek enrich this tender and much-needed children’s book." -- Holli Kenley, author of Power Down & Parent Up and Pilates For Parenting

"Knowing Lauren Persons for over 20 years (and happily counting) this children's book reflects a genuine heart full of emotion and love. If all people faced with difficulties had the courage and the dignity and the race that Lauren Persons has, our world would be a better place for our children to live." --John Mascia, elementary school teacher

"With simple, accessible words and drawings, Lost But Found perfectly captures the experience of loss, and the power of memory and love." -- Amy N. Ship

From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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