A deeply personal memoir about recovering from bereavement, by a professional therapist and grief counsellor
Can a parent ever survive the death of a daughter or son? Drowning in grief and with her life in pieces, psychotherapist Diane Esguerra asks herself this question as she sets off for Peru to scatter the ashes of Sacha, her only child, at the sacred Inca citadel Machu Picchu, a place he loved.
Every step of the journey triggers memories of the young man's troubled life of abuse and addiction. As Diane makes connections with other bereaved people in the unlikeliest of settings, she also has mystical encounters that affirm her Buddhist faith and put her on a path to acceptance and healing.
The fragments of her life gradually reassemble - in a more meaningful pattern than before.
By turns funny, engaging and moving, this richly coloured account of one mother's physical and spiritual journey shows it's possible not only to survive every parent's worst nightmare, but to experience growth and transformation along the way.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'A inspiring and uplifting book about finding infinite value in the most intense and painful experience of profound loss' Sandie Shaw
'This beautifully written memoir charts Diane's personal anguish as her son Sacha - once a powerful and vibrant young man - is lost to the full-on white-knuckle ride of heroin addiction. In essence it is a book about finding value in profound loss' Maria Cantacuzino, author of Forgiveness
'A heart-wrenching and uplifting story of one woman's tragedy, transformation and, ultimately, triumph, made all the more powerful because every word is true - and because Diane Esguerra is a very fine writer' Edward Canfor-Dumas
'Takes you on a geographical and spiritual journey to a place of healing and ultimately to a place of peace in mind and heart. For anyone going through the grief journey of losing a loved one to addiction, I highly recommend this mother's story. Ultimately, you will feel uplifted and strengthened by sharing this journey with her' Elizabeth Burton-Phillips, author of Mum, Can You Lend Me Twenty Quid?
'Diane Esguerra's eloquent writing and self-deprecating humour make this a surprisingly rewarding and uplifting read. The journey is a courageous one; so too is her willingness to share raw emotion with her reader and her determination to create both meaning and value out of some truly heart-breaking life experiences' Therapy Today
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Produkt-Hinweis
Broschur/Paperback
Klebebindung
Maße
Höhe: 198 mm
Breite: 129 mm
Dicke: 18 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-78563-391-1 (9781785633911)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Diane Esguerra studied English at University College, London, followed by a stint at drama school, and later trained as a psychotherapist at the University of Sussex. She has written for both theatre and television and is the recipient of a Geneva-Europe Television Award and a Time Out Theatre Award. Her books include The Oshun Diaries (Eye Books, 2019) and Buddhism and Loss (Mud Pie Books, 2023). The founder and
director of Greenlight Counselling Consultancy, she lives in Dorset.
