Midwest Book Review on Raymond Luczak’s Compassion Michigan

The Literary Fiction Shelf

Raymond Luczak
Modern History Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9627
9781615995288, $33.95, HC, 200pp
Synopsis: Doesn’t history matter anymore? Could we still have compassion for others who don’t share our views? Encompassing some 130 years in Ironwood’s history, “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories” by Raymond Luczak (who is a Yooper native, and either the author or the editor of 24 books — including Flannelwood) illuminates characters struggling to adapt to their circumstances starting in the present day, with its subsequent stories rolling back in time to when Ironwood was first founded.
As an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that keeps the readers total and rapt attention to what they are reading, author Raymond Lucazk has created an impressive body of work with “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories”
These are deftly crafted and engaging stories about what does it mean to live in a small town (so laden with its glory day reminiscences) against the stark economic realities of today:
  • A Deaf woman, born into a large, hearing family, looks back on her turbulent relationship with her younger, hearing sister.
  • A gas station clerk reflects on Stella Draper, the woman who ran an ice cream parlor only to kill herself on her 33rd birthday.
  • A devout mother has a crisis of faith when her son admits that their priest molested him.
  • A bank teller, married to a soldier convicted of treason during the Korean War, gradually falls for a cafeteria worker.
  • A young transgender man, with a knack for tailoring menswear, escapes his wealthy Detroit background for a chance to live truly as himself in Ironwood.
  • When a handsome single man is attracted to her, a popular schoolteacher enters into a marriage of convenience only to wonder if she’s made the right decision.

Raymond Luczak, author of Compassion, Michigan

Critique: The twin roles of the literary short story are to entertain and to provoke thought. As an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that keeps the readers total and rapt attention to what they are reading, author Raymond Lucazk has created an impressive body of work with “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories”. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories” is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781615995271, $21.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).

Editorial Note: Raymond Luczak is a Yooper native, is the author and editor of 24 books, including Flannelwood.

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

Save this product for later

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.