He gave her a goodnight kiss and told her he loved her—something he hadn’t done since she was a child—then left her watching a movie in the sitting room. It was Monday evening, October 29th, 1990. He was Amanda Evan’s father and in his bedroom, with a gun, he took his life from himself, his wife and children, his friends. He was thirty-seven years old.
In an effort to find their own answers, and in hopes of gaining the strength to let go, Amanda, along with her sister Christine and their mother Yvonne, openly share their confusion, heartache, utter anger and frustration in this poignantly honest and vividly real collaboration of literature to the man they loved—and lost to an untimely death. From Those Death Left Behind is a heartfelt tribute that helped them heal and that will hopefully assist others in finding rejuvenating joy after devastating sadness.
From Those Death Left Behind is a fairly short, quick read but one that will grip you as strongly as if it were a multiple-plot suspense novel. The poems and essays beckon slow, meditative reading and the words and phrases chosen to describe the authors’ feeling portray very strongly just how difficult letting go can be, how challenging forcing ourselves to move on truly is. Even to readers who haven’t experienced a suicide case in quite the same way as Amanda and her family, the shock of sudden death and the questions of why or how will most definitely hit home with anyone who has recently come face to face with unexpectedly waving farewell to a cherished individual.
Readers of appropriate age will find comfort in tracing the emotional ups and downs of the book and rest, ultimately, in the fact that letting go of the pain and grief and learning to return once again to life is how we can move beyond mere existence and productively press forward. From Those Death Left Behind is divided into four sections: 1) a message from Amanda, 2) a message from Christine, 3) a message from Yvonne and 4) medically proven statistics related to the causes, methods and possible preventative measures of suicide. A substantial list of web site addresses for those seeking support, counsel, or advice related to suicide is also included.
Reviewed by Sarah E. Lingley, www.themovingpen.com