Review: Prepare Supply of Tissues and Start Reading
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2012
This is the story of a couple who lose a young child in a tragic accident. It's a heavy topic, and as the father of three children I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. But once I started, I couldn't put it down. The author is herself a therapist and specializes in grief counseling.The tragedy has a catastrophic effect on the couple's relationship, as is typically the case in real life. All sorts of blame games are being played, only they don't feel like games. The older sister of the accident victim, Daisy, age 5, hasn't spoken one word since the tragedy. The lives of the main characters are spiraling out of control, as each one of them in his or her own way retreats into an inner space that might still provide emotional safety.The book is set in Santa Cruz, California, a surfer paradise south of San Francisco. In this liberal town there is a good social infrastructure in place to help people like this young family. The court mandates counseling and therapy for both the mom, Alyssa, and the dad, Seth. The depiction of the therapist, Katherine, who brings her own deep dark secret into the mix, struck me as hauntingly realistic and at the same time poetic.As in this little comment at the end of a therapy session with Seth (Seth is blamed for the tragedy because he is a drug user and was getting high instead of watching the two little girls when they were playing by the pond): "'Try to see this as a wake up call.' I know he wants more; reassurance that everything is going to be fine. Even if the charges are dropped, things will be far from fine, given Alyssa's refusal to speak to him not to mention the grief that's going to be kicking his ass for who knows how long."As I was reading this book my eyes watered over many times, even in public places. I thought about why it moved me so deeply. It's a beautifully crafted story of tragedy and redemption. Why do people so often need a tragedy before they will open their eyes? What will give them the strength and courage to recover and survive? Out of Breath tackles themes that will be familiar to every parent and every person who was ever afraid to confront their deepest fears. Prepare a supply of tissues, and read this book.