Friends for over thirty years, Kerry and Pat’s worlds came crashing down when their teenage sons were both diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses within weeks of each other.
They quickly discovered that there was no handbook on coping when your child is seriously ill but took solace in their friendship – texting at all hours and finding glimmers of dark humour on difficult days. Together these two ordinary mothers found a way to navigate their new normal and wanted to share what they’d learnt. With heartfelt honesty, they offer practical, sanity-saving strategies that allow you to keep putting one foot in front of the other when your family is in crisis, including how to:
– Tame raging mother guilt. It’s often the elephant in the room. Could I have prevented this happening? Is it all my fault? Kerry and Pat share all the reasons why you shouldn’t blame yourself.
– Ask for what you need from the people who want to help but don’t know how – forget the flowers but please fix the hoover, walk the dog and pick my other child up from school. Knowing someone else is dealing with everyday chores is a great comfort when you’re already spread too thinly.
– Look after yourself (even when you don’t care about yourself).
When keeping someone you love alive consumes every scrap of energy, looking after yourself is at the bottom of the priority list. But serious illness can quickly deplete everyone’s resources: Kerry and Pat list all the ways they found to replenish their energy.
– Be hopeful in the aftershock of tragedy. Kerry and Pat show you how to move forwards alongside the grief, and still take the joy where you find it rather than waiting for the grief ‘to be over’ to start living again.
Like a wise companion offering comfort and hope, Take My Hand is a lifeline both to those overwhelmed by heartbreak and for friends and family who don’t know how to help. Most of all, it’s a powerful reminder that no matter how difficult life gets, you are not alone.
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Review
First of all I would like to say I love the cover. It reflects the content perfectly warning you you are about to open a book with stories that will touch your heart.
Life threatening illnesses… You always think it’s far from my bed and thank God it does not happen to me or affect me. But then it does…
This book is Kerry and Pat, two friends, moms with teenage sons, both boys being diagnosed with grave illnesses. They share their stories on how they, as well as their families, tried to cope with the fear, the devastation, the helplessness and all other emotions this entailed.
They share with the readers what helped them, what frustrated them and what was not helpful at all, tips that can be useful for other people dealing with the same situation. Of course it’s personal, because what works for one person does not necessarily work for someone else as well.
Both boy’s parents are strong people, supporting each other, but sometimes needing space too because not everybody deals with their feelings in the same way.The often bury their own grieve and sorrows in order to not burden the children with them.
I think it’s very brave to tell their experiences to the world. I hope it helped them too, being able to put their thoughts on paper.
I know it all happened a few years ago and I do hope they are all alright now.
It’s a very, very emotional story and I have to admit that I was not sure whether I would continue reading it, but I am glad I did. 4 stars
Thank you
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About the authors
Kerry Fisher is an internationally bestselling author of women’s contemporary fiction, including The Woman I Was Before, The Silent Wife (USA Today bestseller) and Other People’s Marriages, as well as a non-fiction memoir, Take My Hand. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent many years living in Spain, Italy and France. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, with an intermittent empty nest as her two young adult children come and go.
Pat Sowa is a ental Health Educator, Speaker, Well-being/leadership coach.MHFA instructor, @parentkind trustee
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Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/kerryfisherauthor
https://twitter.com/KerryFSwayne
https://www.instagram.com/kerryfisherwrites/
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Pat and Kerry
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Book Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B086R8ZXLP/
B for Bookreview 