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

My Grief Is Like the Ocean

978-1-61599-686-5
$16.95
A Story for Children Who Lost a Parent to Suicide
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-686-5
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Audiobook: Audible, iTunes
Edition: 1st
Author: Jessica Biles & Jillian Kelly-Wavering
Illustrator: Jessica Biles
Pages: 30
Publication Date: 09/01/2022

The death of a parent is heartbreaking, but the issues surrounding suicide can be even more devastating. My Grief is Like the Ocean was written by mental health professionals who wanted to support caregivers during incredibly difficult conversations with children. Using the latest research and clinical guidance, and told from the perspective of a boy who lost his father to suicide, this book will help children to feel supported. When caregivers and children read this book together, they will gain a valuable resource for engaging in honest, informative and heartfelt discussions to help families heal. This book will:

  • Help children and caregivers talk about their grief experiences
  • Normalize and encourage the many emotions a child may feel after a loss due to suicide
  • Promote important dialogue and concrete ways to seek help for mental illness
  • Provide caregivers with ideas for developmentally appropriate coping skills
  • Offer additional resources caregivers can access for further support

"This is the one book all parents and clinicians need to have in their personal library. Adults now have a tool to help children navigate the difficult emotions of abandonment, betrayal, rage, and anger that often bubble up after the suicide of a loved one, but are often suppressed and left unspoken." -- Athena A. Drewes, PsyD, RPT-S, founder and president emeritus, New York Association of Play Therapy, past director of the Association for Play Therapy

"My Grief is Like the Ocean tackles the seldom discussed, emotionally wrenching and very difficult concept of suicide in a way that children can understand...delicately using the metaphor of the ocean to describe how its shifting waves mirror the boy's feelings. The explanations are concise. The opportunity for a child to acknowledge their feelings is boundless." -- Laurie Zelinger, Ph.D., ABPP, RPT-S, board-certified psychologist, author of Please Explain Anxiety to Me

"This book is important and much needed, since the death of a parent by suicide is one of the most complicated and devastating forms of childhood grief. I found the book to be brilliant and written with the foundation of great sensitivity and compassion. I also loved the eloquent use of metaphors throughout. Highly recommended!" -- David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP, author, board-certified clinical psychologist

"My Grief is Like the Ocean addresses the complex and conflicting feelings survivors have when they have lost a loved one to suicide. It is a must-have resource for all therapists that work with children and youth, as well as the surviving family members who may need direction regarding how to support their children as they experience this unique form of grief and loss." -- Theresa Fraser, CYC-P, CPT-S, MA, RP, RCT, CT, trauma, loss, and attachment clinical specialist

Learn more at MyGriefisLiketheOcean.com

From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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