Suicide Books

At first glance, this novel appears to be simply Frannie's journey to rediscover the meaning of life after her father's suicide. However, there is so much more to this story. There is a huge supporting cast of characters that are vital to Frannie's discoveries.
When all is said and done, the story examines the effects of suicide on a family, a woman's need to have something of her own, the need for every individual to have a purpose and a little bit about how the misuse of uranium has negatively impacted our world, our soldiers and sacred historical places that could positively influence our future.
This is a great read!

Frannie met JP years ago at a New Orleans music festival and surprisingly married him not long afterward. The Colorado resident relocated to Bayou Country. Over half her life spent here, she and JP they raised two children.

After calling her father on his sixty-ninth birthday in which he sounded depressed, Frannie worries about him being alone. The next day she thinks something happened to him only to learn he committed suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage. Over the objections of her Los Angeles based brother, Frannie insists his body be buried in Tennessee where his sister still lives. As Frannie begins to uncover her dad's life to understand why he killed himself, she learns more about herself in the process, leaving JP to worry about their future together.

BACK BEFORE DARK is an insightful look at the aftermath of suicide on survivors. The various family members react to the death differently, but all are affected. Readers especially see Frannie's external spin turn quite introspective as if she wonders if that is all there is in life. Though somber, Frannie makes the tale not turn maudlin as she deals with what would bring her personal satisfaction in this fine character study.

Harriet Klausner

Brutal Music by James Lindsay is a dark story of violent crime and attempted suicide, told uniquely through twin vantage points that gradually unfold the brutal reality of murderous hidden secrets and agendas. Brutal Music is recommended as a shocking, well-crafted, page-turner of a novel that cruelly captures the reader's imagination from first page to last.

I WANTED to read the book, but found its dark subject hard to approach. But once I began, I couldn't put the book down! Brutal Music's characters include both the hard-to-fathom and those we imagine we understand from face value. The author skillfully cuts away at our preconceptions to tell a story full of haunting insights into the fragility of the human situation. Highly recommended. I look forward to more from this author.

What I liked about this resource is that it provided the multicultural aspects of adolescent grief and loss

I ordered Death & the Adolescent for a counselor on my staff after we learned that the mother of one of our teens committed suicide. The guide contains a plethora of practical exercises for both group & individual counseling sessions. It is very user friendly and I plan on ordering a copy for each guidance counselor and social worker in my Guidance Department.

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (3/07)

It is difficult to listen to newscasts these days without hearing about suicide bomber attacks. When successful, the death toll can involve only the bomber himself, or herself, or it can involve up to hundreds of civilian and military victims. The number of attacks in conflicts around the world has been steadily rising, and so to has the use of women to carry out these bombings. In "Female Suicide Bombers," Rosemarie Skaine attempts to contextualize the lives of women who became bombers, and points out that our deficient Western perception of women as fighters in any war hinders our ability to protect ourselves from lethal attacks in the future.

While the Preface gives the Reader the impression that the pages will be filled with sociological theories and discussions that only a university student could follow, the book is actually very understandable. In general, the information is given in short, to-the-point sentences and chapters, but by the final Analysis, the writing becomes more animated and the author dives in with opinions and conclusions of her own. Her research is extensive, with numerous sources from around the world utilized to discuss terminology; the relationship between the female bombers and the organizations they represented, and the societies in which they lived; as well as the many views on the capabilities of women as deadly fighters. Government strategies to combat terrorism are also commented on, such as monitoring money trails, but the author's primary concern is that the United States does not recognize that it may very well be a female combatant who will attempt any future, large scale attack such as 9/11.

When details on female bombers are available the author lists them, but there is often little known about the women who became martyrs for their causes. Along with her good explanation of the present day organizations they belonged to (and the acronyms the media constantly refers to them by), Rosemarie Skaine cleared up a lot of confusion I had about the politics of present and past conflicts, provided a greater understanding as to the choices available to women in some war-torn societies, and put a human face to many of the shocking news stories I have heard. I learned a lot from this book, and for readers interested in the topics of global terrorism, present day warfare, or feminism from a military standpoint, "Female Suicide Bombers" is definitely an informative book to read.

Sociologist Rosemarie Skaine presents Female Suicide Bombers, a scholarly collective profile of women recruited to deliberately and knowingly sacrifice their lives in violent acts. Female Suicide Bombers discusses female suicide bombers and conflicts within Lebanon, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Israel and Palestine; the role of Islam and Islamic organizations or leaders in recruiting and controlling suicide bombers; and suicide bombers of other religions or a secular base. Female Suicide Bombers recognizes that suicide bombers in general do not operate as individuals, but rather at the behest of organizations, and explores the scope and training methods of these organizations accordingly. Most importantly, Female Suicide Bombers meticulously deconstructs numerous Western myths and societal biases that impede understanding of the true nature of these acts of war and/or terrorism, and suggests ways in which the world needs to adapt and prepare itself to confront terrorism in the future. A heavily researched, professional, and up-to-date treatment of a singularly serious topic.

I am a huge manga reader. I've read alot of manga books. For those of you who don't know what a manga is. It is a japanese comic book or graphic novel translated into English.

Go With Grace's artwork is excellent! The best I've seen in many mangas I've read. The artwork is crisp & realistic. Expressions of the people were well drawn. Easy on the eyes. I can't give it enough praise on the artwork.

The story itself is pretty good. I read it in one day. The ending is great. I wanted to read more after that!!

If he writes any more books, I'm buying it! Hard to believe the author is 20 years old! Excellent work! Keep it up George!

(SPOILERS!!)

Since George's art is one of my all-time favorite styles in Manga, I was surprised to discover his flair for writing. His characters are very interesting, and the fact that his answer to suicide is a paranormal romance is nothing less than fantastic.

But then it leaves me questioning his motives as well. Could a boy realistically be drawn into such depths because of one person?Is Grace all that redeemable? Is Ashley left behind for selfish reasons in the end? Did we get the happy ending after all?

It gives you a lot to think about, which - maybe unintentional - is good.

As Grandpa mourns the loss of Grandma, he develops a desire for soup just like Grandma used to make. He works at remembering the recipe and discovers the reason she had so many pots for making soup. A great book to have on hand for children dealing with death or loss. I have watched my grandfather mourn this same loss and develop a desire for beets made just like Grandma used to make them.

A wonderful story that moves from sad to happy, dark to light. It touches you with laughter and deep feels for grandpa. The simple use of soup brings the human spirit back to life and a death. A wonderful children's book for children to learn about how "eating soup" with older people can mean so much.

I lost my Mom when I was 16, so when I was asked for some recommended books for teens who lost their parents in the Sept 11, 2001 terrorism attacks, this was one of them. It is a good book for any grieving teen. We sent about 30 copies of this book to New York City and Washington DC (along with other books as well). Helen Fitzgerald does a wonderful job explaining grief and the healing process to teens. I would suggest supplementing the book with some sort of journal like the book "Fire in My Heart, Ice in Veins" .. But this one is definitely worth purchasing for any grieving teen. It covers the full spectrum of grief's emotions - anger, fear, exhaustion, shock, disbelief and more. It also covers the funeral and what to expect, reacting to your emotions, and how to go on living your life.

Although I bought this book for my niece who is 14, after my sister was killed in a car accident, I found the book useful for anyone mourning the death of a loved one. The book was written in a clear and concise manner. It has a table of contents that can lead you directly to the topic you want to learn more about. In our case we went to the sections that spoke about "when death comes sudden" and "no time to say good-bye". The author also writes about practical matters like what to expect at the wake and the funeral. There are even sections that some people might think taboo, like what does a dead person look or feel like. All these things helped us to come out of the shock of it all. There are two other book in the series: The Mourning Book (which I have read and is equally wonderful) and The Greiving Child (which I have not had a chance to purchase - but I will - I have another niece who is 4yrs old). Helen Fitzgerald should be congratulated in the work she is doing to heal so many she will never meet.

Spending time in Arlene Bernstein's garden is an act of love. Her journey through love,pain,planting,marriage,immense grief and joy conspire to make the reader at once more in touch with both the earth and themselves. Her book nourishes and heals.. Her visual imagery of the gorgeous Napa Valley hills is matched by a nurturing insight into our most basic selves. I was moved and awed by her journey. This is time well spent.

This little book--its 200 pages, in an attractive format, take at most two hours to read--is about surviving and growing as a healthy adult, in spite of--or perhaps because of--the obstacles, even tragedies, that occur in ordinary lives.

It is written by a woman who bore and lost two children, and who describes coming to terms not only with her childlessness, but also with the challenges of maintaining a loving relationship with her partner,whose ways of being and of coping with grief are different from hers.

She is a gardener, and her descriptions of working in a garden, and learning from vegetables and flowers about how to cooperate with nature instead of fighting it, and how to live in the present and feel the joy of the moment, are vivid and direct. Her account of creating a garden and of simultaneously learning self-acceptance are often beautiful, and always convincing. The tone is of simplicity and candor; of a voice which is always honest, unpretentious and generous.Here is a typical example, about pruning old grape vines:

" . . . the shapes of the older plants are unorthodox. There is no way to use pruning rules on them. This gives me great freedom, with no judgements attached of right or wrong, too much wood or too little. I give myself permission to stand before each plant, quiet and empty of thought, until I get a visceral sensation, almost an invitation to join in a dance. Then,slowly at first, I'll cut out the fruiting canes from last year . . . I wait for a quickening, as I and the vine communicate, as one shoot or another catches my eye and I accept the invitation or not . . ."

The overdone term "grounded" applies here, and is not intended as a pun. It is because the author really has worked hard in the garden, and because her carrots and grapevines are so solidly known and described, that the undertone of mysticism which runs through the book never runs away with it. She seems to have learned, from meditation and study combined with hard physical work, an acceptance of what is and an appreciation of what can be that, in its modest way, succeeds for the reader in showing how, in an ordinary life, the spiritual and the material can be fused.

In Snakedance, Oklahoma, pregnant waitress Aleta Thornhill is engaged to marry her boss Delbert Stump, owner of the Dust Bowl Diner though his mother objects to the marriage. However, both keep secrets from one another that if uncovered could end their relationship in anger. A Worse case scenario surfaces when Delbert learns from his mother's inquiries that Aleta had an abortion when she was a teen. Angry for her failure to reveal this to him, Delbert drives to Amarillo, Texas seeking to think things through by himself

Aleta, driven by music teacher Rick Lucas, follows. She finds him in a motel where they begin to clear the air until a drunken female enters Delbert's motel room seeking her underwear. Aleta flees for home while the local law delays Delbert. On his way home Delbert knows he must persuade his cherished Aleta that he loves her. However, he wonders how she will react when he tells her his deepest secret that impacts the identity of the father of the child she carries.

The premise of this well written romance is that secrets leads to everybody plays the fool and they can destroy a relationship when trust is not a main ingredient. The two prime characters and his mother keep confidences that lead to suspicion and distrust. Though the revelations seem too dramatic and feel as if they will never end, fans will appreciate moseying on down A HARD, DRY ROAD.

Harriet Klausner

A Hard Dry Road is a very fine work of fiction with characters quirky enough to be interesting and common enough to be real. Through them Karen Brown exhibits some keen insights into the human foolishness of keeping needless secrets.

Karen Brown is an excellent storyteller with a loose and easy style that effectively gets to the point but never seems to be contrived or to be forcing issues on the reader. Her mechanics are flawless -- a rare find these days. It was a joy to read something so well-written and yet as relaxed and natural as an evening stroll.

This book was highly entertaining from first page to last, and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip down A Hard Dry Road. My thanks to Karen Brown for taking me along.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/08)

"How to Write a Suicide Note," is the second book in the Reflections of America Series. The author Sherry Quan Lee took six years to complete her story. The book consists of a series of poignant essays. Ms. Lee is a Chinese/Black woman. Her father was Chinese and her mother was Black. She developed an identity crisis because she was told to pass herself off as white and if she couldn't do that then she should say she is Chinese. This was to help her be better accepted into society. How sad that was because her Chinese father left the family when she was five, so she wasn't raised as a part of his culture. Her strong mother, who was left to raise five children by herself, did not want her to accept the Black side of her culture. I felt this must have been very damaging because her mother deserved to have her culture acknowledged by her children. This taught Ms. Lee to feel invisible.

She writes that her attempts at suicide were cries to be heard. It also seemed like she was making the attempts to kill parts of herself. When she started writing, she discovered that writing saves lives. It was healing for her to tell her story through her poetry. It is also healing for the people who read Lee's works. The people that can relate to her experiences will find healing in knowing that they are not alone.

"How to Write a Suicide Note" is an excellent reading choice for readers, especially women with multicultural backgrounds. I have friends of multicultural backgrounds who had difficulties with their upbringings and how they were accepted by others. Sometimes they felt unaccepted by anybody. One of them, a woman in her 30s, relates that even today she is not sure what box to check under "race." I think that she will really be able to relate to Ms. Lee's story. I also think that women of all races will find the essays moving. No matter what, we all want the same thing that Ms. Lee did, at our core; that is to be loved and accepted.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (6/08)

"How to Write a Suicide Note- Serial Essays That Saved a Woman's Life" is Book #2 in the "Reflections of America Series" that "highlights autobiography, fiction, and poetry which express the quest to discover one's context within modern society." Sherry Quan Lee grew up poor, the daughter of a Chinese father and a Black mother. Although of mixed race, she has usually passed for white, which based on the author's photo on the back of the book, I can completely see happening. She also has always married white men, even though she loves women.

It took the author six years to complete the book as she did not follow any hard, fast writing rules. She started out attempting to write in prose form but the writing was not flowing as she had wished, so she transformed her notes into poetry instead. The writings in this book are a form of therapy for her. Expressing her feelings on paper allows her "to name the racist, sexist, classist experiences" that kept pulling her down and made her feel worthless and unloved. She then proceeds to squash these issues out in the form of suicide notes.

Sherry Quan Lee believes that writing is what saved her life. In the past, she has attempted suicide in an effort to be acknowledged and loved, but now she writes to live. Writing about the trauma in her life allows her to examine it, be angry about it, and then, finally, to let it go. Getting these past events written down allows new doors to open for her and allows her a fresh start.

In some ways in reading "How to Write a Suicide Note- Serial Essays That Saved a Woman's Life," I almost felt as if I was intruding into a person's private thoughts and space. However, I applaud Quan Lee's intimate, risk-taking venture in writing this book of poetry. She is a very honest person and does not hold anything back. Her work is very original and I have never read anything quite like it before. For these reasons I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry and/or memoirs.