Welcome to the blog tour for Hope After Suicide by Wendy Parmley!
We all have a story—hidden secrets buried in dark and rocky earth.
Our task is to unearth—to release the pain and discover the good, discover the
healing, discover the love. Uncovering the darkness makes space for the light.
After her mother took her
own life, Wendy Parmley learned firsthand the heartache, despair, and
loneliness that accompanies losing a loved one to suicide. At one point she
even contemplated taking her own life as well. In this uplifting true
narrative, you too can discover how to:
- Forgive
yourself and others
- Open
your heart
- Seek
help when you need it
- Draw
closer to the divine
Embrace the light and
learn how to heal your soul and overcome loss as you read this touching and
tender account of a woman opening her heart years after her mother’s suicide.
Purchase Hope After
Suicide: One Woman’s Journey from Darkness to Light at:
 |
| Courtesy of Alyse Neibaur at Diamond Eye |
Wendy Parmley suffered a disabling bike accident in September 2011. Unable
to return to her 20 year nursing career because of the continued effects of her
injuries, Wendy began the slow and painful penning of her angel mother’s story
and Wendy’s healing journey following her mom’s suicide death. Wendy’s
mom took her own life when just 31 years old, leaving behind her husband of
thirteen years and their five young children.
Wendy has long advocated
for suicide prevention and has participated on various professional and
community based groups dedicated to that end. She also recognizes the
need to unashamedly support those who must continue to live in the painful
aftermath of a loved one’s suicide and passionately lends her voice to that
cause.
Prior to her bike
accident, Wendy worked in nursing leadership for 14 years, earning her MBA
degree from Brigham
Young University
in 2007. Despite her continued limitations, Wendy is grateful to spend
more time with the love of her life, her husband Mark. She is ever grateful
for his support and the support of their three married sons and their wives,
their amazing daughter, and their beautiful two grandchildren who fill their
life with sunshine.
Review:
Wendy was just 12 years old when she was awoken by the cries of her father. Her life would never be the same. Her very young mother had just died, and Wendy was left as the oldest of 5 children. To make things even more difficult, Wendy soon discovered that her mother had actually taken her own life. It's not until Wendy is an adult that she begins to truly process what happened. As she begins her journey to deal with the pain of her mother's suicide, Wendy manages to discover that a wound she thought would remain raw forever can in fact be healed. Wendy shares her journey in this book.
Suicide and mental illness have been brought to the forefront of public awareness due to the recent suicide of actor Robin Williams. This is a subject that is very difficult for a lot of people to understand. What drives a person to take their own life? The author of this book had to try and figure that out for herself very early in life. This book gives a very realistic and emotional view of what it is like to be the child of someone who must deal with the suicide of a very close loved one. Wendy thought her mother could do virtually no wrong, and yet her mother had demons that she could not escape. However, Wendy manages to find great hope in her religion and beliefs. Unfortunately she must first progress through the pain again first.
Wendy doesn't hide anything in this book, and a lot of her family's skeletons are laid out for all to see. I think this is a good thing though. None of us come from perfect families or ideal situations in life, and the more we see that others have issues too the more we can truly bear each others burdens. This book takes an unflinching look at suicide and loss, but the author manages to keep anyone from looking like a bad guy. She is able to see the good in so many things. While this book wasn't an easy read per se, it was a very interesting read. I couldn't put it down. It helped me to see that even in the darkest of times, we can find hope. That is a very inspiring thing.
Book provided for review.
