A sister’s deeply personal account of traumatic loss, its aftermath, and the path away from resentment.
In 1994, 21 years after her disappearance, Lucy Partington’s remains were discovered in Fred and Rosemary West’s basement at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester. In this powerful and lyrical book, Lucy’s elder sister, Marian, reclaims Lucy from the status of victim and finds an authentic and compassionate response to her traumatic loss. Her inspiring narrative of healing draws on Buddhist and Quaker practices and culminates in restorative justice work in prisons.
“This is not a story of ‘coping with loss’, nor of ‘overcoming emotion’, nor less of ‘achieving forgiveness’. It is the story of simply, doggedly and patiently refusing to accept the path of victimhood, revenge or bitter resentment. Instead Marian has walked the way of uncertainty, humility and hope which, through spiritual struggle and human kindness, accepts and transforms sadness, loss and evil.” Stephen Cherry, author of Healing Agony: Re-Imagining Forgiveness
Our next Book Club is 31st March — A Cry is Heard by Jean Vanier
Beautiful and profound reflections from the founder of the L’Arche communities from the perspective of his old age. Jean Vanier has yielded himself to being led by the “weakest, the most foolish and the most oppressed of our societies”. But, in confessing to still travelling the road of healing and transformation, he throws out that same challenge and call to action to the rest of us.