Loss. Heartache. Things don't go according to plan. When hope is a fleeting whisper, how can a mother of faith deal with tragedy?
After 36-year-old Alice lost her son Daniel, she doubted a graveyard could ever offer tranquility. At first, she wanted to run from the cemetery because it symbolized that Daniel, her four-year-old son, was gone. Being at the grave filled her with shame, guilt, and doubt. Gradually, thanks to geese, picnics, helium balloons, and epitaphs, the cemetery, named Daniel’s Place by Alice’s family, became a haven of discovery and beauty. Life at Daniel’s Place is the story of a mother’s heart transformed from fear to certainty and confidence. Alice’s reflections remind us that a renewed faith in God is possible and welcomed, even amid trauma. While grief lasts a lifetime, God's love and presence is always constant.
After 36-year-old Alice lost her son Daniel, she doubted a graveyard could ever offer tranquility. At first, she wanted to run from the cemetery because it symbolized that Daniel, her four-year-old son, was gone. Being at the grave filled her with shame, guilt, and doubt. Gradually, thanks to geese, picnics, helium balloons, and epitaphs, the cemetery, named Daniel’s Place by Alice’s family, became a haven of discovery and beauty. Life at Daniel’s Place is the story of a mother’s heart transformed from fear to certainty and confidence. Alice’s reflections remind us that a renewed faith in God is possible and welcomed, even amid trauma. While grief lasts a lifetime, God's love and presence is always constant.
I'm a voracious reader of memoirs, and this is truly one of the most beautiful I've ever read. Not only is it exceptionally well written, which made it an enjoyable literary read, but it captured my emotions as few books do. It has been said that stories can tug at your heartstrings ... well, this one tugged at mine in such a way that I felt I was experiencing the author's life with her. You don't have to have lost a child yourself to appreciate the depths of grief and the heights of hope and faith that Alice speaks of in this book. Her profound insights into how to navigate a world of unthinkable loss will stay with me for a long, long time. And I'll definitely never forget the words of her four-year-old son Daniel: "Heaven, heaven, heaven is a good place to stay." ~ Ann Tatlock, Three-time Christy Award Winner
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Alice J. Wisler is the author of award-winning inspirational novels (Rain Song, How Sweet It Is) and a devotional on grief and loss. She has also compiled three memorial cookbooks. An advocate for writing through loss and grief, she teaches writing workshops across the country. She makes her home in Durham, NC, with her husband and pet boxer. Connect with her at her website alicewisler.com.
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