Part memoir, part creative journal, This I Know chronicles Susannah’s journey through bereavement and healing, taking the reader on a ride into the possibilities of unravelling — and healing — her own life too. It’s a guidebook of sorts, a collection of thoughts and theories, with creative exercises for you to try, and dreamy light-filled Polaroids dotted throughout the text. It’s a cosy blanket for your heart.
This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Susannah Conway’s new book works magic: it meets us in our darkest moments—of grief, shame, hopelessness—and shows us how to transform them into love, creativity, and confidence. Written with tenderness, filled with gorgeous images and helpful exercises, she reminds us that the beauty we seek is always right in front of our eyes.” --Susan Piver, author of The Wisdom of a Broken Heart
“You hold in your hand one of those books. You will buy multiple copies of it to press into the hands of friends. You will mark it up with notes, and read passages again and again. You will not lend this out. This book was forged in grief and is lit by love. Feast your creative heart!”--Jennifer Louden, author of The Life Organizer and The Woman's Comfort Book
“Reading Susannah’s words feels like spending time with a perfect friend—the kind who mixes mojitos as she listens to your dreams, laughs and cries with you, and most of all, persuades you that YOU CAN DO IT! I lost count of the times I was inspired to put it down to take a photograph or to write in my journal. I’m still bowled over by the generosity of this book.” ---Sarah Salway, Canterbury Laureate and author of You Do Not Need Another Self-Help Book
From the Inside Flap
This is a book about unraveling the layers of our lives, delving beneath the surface in order to better understand ourselves, our relationships, and our path. Author Susannah Conway uncovered this process following a tragedy—the sudden death of the man she loved. In sharing her journey of self-discovery, she reveals how grief reshaped her life and led her to reconnect with her creativity, make peace with her past, and learn to appreciate herself.
You hold in your hands a guidebook of sorts, a collection of thoughts and theories, each chapter culminating in a small creative exercise for you to reflect upon and apply to your own life. With her words and signature dreamy Polaroid images, Conway reminds us that we are not alone, that living mindfully is a process, and that in time you can let yourself be who you were always meant to be.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Any woman who has experienced grief and loss (that is, every woman alive) should read this book. For some of us this is the loss of a loved one, for others the loss of self, or for others still it might be the loss of both. This book is a map of one woman's personal journey through bereavement and rediscovery of self, but it is also offered as a guidebook for those making their way along the same path, traveling through that same territory of loss. And yet, as Susannah says, this "is not a story about grief, although it informs everything I've learned about life. This is a book about unraveling the layers of our lives and exploring what we find in order to better understand ourselves, our relationships, and our path."
This book embodies, through both word and image, the tender heart of that sadness, not shying away from the reality of it, the truth that life can kick your ass but that we can also lean into joy and be softened by beauty, can and will encounter grace, and know love. We may have tears streaming down our face or feel bad about our thighs, but with our eyes and heart open wide to both the brutality and beauty of life, we can heal, we can live a wholehearted life.
This book might first be about one woman's individual journey towards wholeness, but in the end, it is an offering to the reader, an invitation to unravel our own hearts. Sometimes, simply knowing that others have walked a similar path is all the medicine and advice you need, but Susannah Conway takes it one step beyond, offering a reflection at the end of each chapter, small creative exercises that invite the reader to explore, to unravel. In this way, it is a book that one could come back to again and again.
In the end, this book is like a long, intimate conversation with the best girlfriend ever, one who has been where you are, can authentically sit in that dark place with you, but who also has a map that shows the way out, an invitation to the rest of your beautiful life.
This book embodies, through both word and image, the tender heart of that sadness, not shying away from the reality of it, the truth that life can kick your ass but that we can also lean into joy and be softened by beauty, can and will encounter grace, and know love. We may have tears streaming down our face or feel bad about our thighs, but with our eyes and heart open wide to both the brutality and beauty of life, we can heal, we can live a wholehearted life.
This book might first be about one woman's individual journey towards wholeness, but in the end, it is an offering to the reader, an invitation to unravel our own hearts. Sometimes, simply knowing that others have walked a similar path is all the medicine and advice you need, but Susannah Conway takes it one step beyond, offering a reflection at the end of each chapter, small creative exercises that invite the reader to explore, to unravel. In this way, it is a book that one could come back to again and again.
In the end, this book is like a long, intimate conversation with the best girlfriend ever, one who has been where you are, can authentically sit in that dark place with you, but who also has a map that shows the way out, an invitation to the rest of your beautiful life.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Georgia O'Keefe wrote, "...to see takes time, like to have a friend
takes time." This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart is not a book for people who are in a hurry
to fix or change themselves. Its a book you soak in and absorb, like
a bubblebath or hot chocolate or a spring rain, or an afternoon in the
company of a dear friend who knows you so well. Its a book that
quietly reveals the power of taking the time to see yourself, and the
stories that have contained your life, up til now.
The author's own words are the very best description of the essence of the book:
"... and yet, I am so compelled to share, knowing that in the sharing
we find common ground, that my story might sing to your heart, just as
your story calls to mine."
Although death was the event which rocked her world, the theme of Susannah's
journey is how grief made it urgent to finally take the time to truly
befriend herself, and fully accept the beauty in both her
vulnerabilities and strengths.
Images and experiences from daily life gently nudge the
reader toward self-recognition, weaving together stories we all share
- insecurities about love, body, career, family, loss, ageing; but
without dwelling on the pain for its own sake, nor pushing it aside in
the interest of finding a silver lining. Like her luminous
photographs of simple, everyday surroundings, each facet the author's
story shines as worthy of regard, familiar and beautiful, like a face
we love, yet are getting to know for the first time, all over again.
takes time." This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart is not a book for people who are in a hurry
to fix or change themselves. Its a book you soak in and absorb, like
a bubblebath or hot chocolate or a spring rain, or an afternoon in the
company of a dear friend who knows you so well. Its a book that
quietly reveals the power of taking the time to see yourself, and the
stories that have contained your life, up til now.
The author's own words are the very best description of the essence of the book:
"... and yet, I am so compelled to share, knowing that in the sharing
we find common ground, that my story might sing to your heart, just as
your story calls to mine."
Although death was the event which rocked her world, the theme of Susannah's
journey is how grief made it urgent to finally take the time to truly
befriend herself, and fully accept the beauty in both her
vulnerabilities and strengths.
Images and experiences from daily life gently nudge the
reader toward self-recognition, weaving together stories we all share
- insecurities about love, body, career, family, loss, ageing; but
without dwelling on the pain for its own sake, nor pushing it aside in
the interest of finding a silver lining. Like her luminous
photographs of simple, everyday surroundings, each facet the author's
story shines as worthy of regard, familiar and beautiful, like a face
we love, yet are getting to know for the first time, all over again.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Susannah's words speak directly to the heart. Unraveling thoughts and feelings that live deep inside. This book is beautifully written and the photographs that are mixed amongst her words are breathtaking. It is difficult to put down. You can feel Susannah's heart through her words and images. She inspires you to live deeply and creativly. Soaking in the beauty that is this world.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
looking into places sometimes you may not want to
Honestly, I didn't care for this book mainly because it just it is not my kind of read. I really didn't give it that much of a chance because you know when you start to read a book... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Denise Daniels
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful book
I have been savoring this book as I read it. The writing is good and the ideas are interesting. I like the typeface and the size of the book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Linda Hopp
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I have been reading a great deal Of
Grief books, dealing with my own.
This is the only one I didn't finish. Disappointing after a
Good start. Read more
Grief books, dealing with my own.
This is the only one I didn't finish. Disappointing after a
Good start. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sheric
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good...depending on what you are looking for...
I chose this book because of the title...similar to Oprahs' This I know for Sure"...and the subject matter of introspection. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Cheryl Dellario
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Touching Book
This is so well written...directly from the heart. A great read and an inspiring story. Anyone suffering from grief should read this.
Published 3 months ago by Sheila
5.0 out of 5 stars
This I Know
So much hit home. I too had a loss. 13 years ago and counting. Still there and better after this book. Death: a wicked thing to suffer through. Though better than a child. Read more
Published 3 months ago by patricia c hand
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review of "This I Know"
I love books like this - individuals working through life's happenings and learning. It's like a refresher course on allowing yourself to be human. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kathy Block
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational
This is a good book for if you yourself are traveling through the stages of grief. Susannah teaches us that it is possible to get through it, but that the heart takes some time to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done
This is one of those books that you have to force yourself to put down and think on. Even if grief is not your thing this book explores self healing no matter the hurt. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Nonny T
5.0 out of 5 stars
Memoir/Creativity/Healing
Reading this book was like having tea with a creative, wise, all accepting friend. Something about the way Conway writes settles my nervous system and leaves me looking forward to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by MKG
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