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

Lucky G and the Melancholy Quokka

978-1-61599-541-7
$14.95
How Play Therapy can Help Children with Depression
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-541-7
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Author: Amy Wilinksi-Lyman
Illustrator: Leela Green
Pages: 44
Publication Date: 11/01/2020

Raves for the Raven Who is a Therapist

This book grabs you from the outset and takes you on a hopeful journey: A colorful, spunky raven (with a Ph.D.) travels to Australia to meet aquokka who has lost his true smile, finds it hard to move and isn't hanging out with friends anymore. Dr. G knows that depression is the culprit, and extends a listening ear and helping hand, all the while reassuring the quokka that lots of adults and kids feel depression, too!

"The illustrations are colorful and whimsical, and the fact that Amy takes us on a journey to Australia provides the novelty that keeps the book captivating and moving right along. I truly enjoyed reading this and I believe children with depression, and their parents, will find acknowledgment, guidance and hope in this little book. Enjoyable, informative and capable of capturing a child's imagination."
-- Eliana Gil, Ph.D., Founder, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education, Fairfax, VA

"In her latest Lucky G book installment, Wilinski-Lyman makes the concept of play therapy accessible to children and parents. Speaking from experience, and from the heart, she presents therapy as a helpful tool for kids and fights stigma against depression. Her characters are easy to relate to for children and families alike. The vivid and expressive illustrations by Leela Green make this book a visual treat for all ages."
-- Marta Manning, former president NAMI Midland, MI chapter (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

"I liked the whole story. Blue was my favorite character--I would be friends with him. I liked how Blue was sad at the start and then was happy by the end."
-- Astor, 7 years old

AMY WILINSKI-LYMAN lives in Michigan with her three awesome children: Zach, Drew, and Kendall; and her big fluffy orange cat, Marshall. Amy became a mental health warrior in 2016 after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Through her books and online presence she wants to show parents and children living with mental illness that there is hope.

Learn more at AmyLymanAuthor.com

From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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