Customer Reviews

After Great Pain: A New Life Emerges

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An open letter to the author - Dear Ms. Cole,

I am a 62 year old man, married with 2 adult children, women ages 35
and 30. I have struggled with depression and grief for about 50
years. Your book, After Great Pain, helped me come to terms with my
pain and losses.

My parents had to send my mentally handicapped sister, June, to an
institution in 1960, when she was 14 and I was 13. She had become
completely unmanageable. Our family collapsed and never fully
recovered. Father became hostile, Mother withdrawn and we 3 boys,
repelled by ugly memories, became emotionally distant as adults. We
had only rare contact with June. She was excluded from family
gatherings which remained uncomfortable for decades.

About 1980, I began to see her regularly. Fortunately for me, she had
little awareness of time passing so she readily forgave me for
neglecting her.

In the last few weeks, I understood that, in addition to depression, I
have been grieving for my lost family. I rejected the family long ago
because of violence and other ugliness, but unbeknown to me, kept
trying to find it in strangers. Your book helped me to become aware
of my real feelings, that I missed them and loved them.

June and Dad died in 2007, 3 weeks apart. June knew I loved her. Dad
never got my forgiveness, but I have forgiven both Mom and Dad for the
violence and their inability to protect us. My relationship with Mom
is very close now.

I feel much better for having read your book.

Sincerely yours,
Bill Sibley

It gives you a glimmer of hope, where before, there was none.

Hope in a book.

Enjoy