Rating: 
Summary: An eloquently written tribute.
Review: I, too, have lost a child--a beautiful son named Ryan who was stillborn at 28 weeks--and this book puts so much of the pain & sorrow that my family & I experienced into words.
This book should be read not only by those who've experienced the loss of a child themselves, but by those in the medical field--OBGYNs, neonatal nurses, labor and delivery medical staff--as it may help to educate them in dealing with bereaved parents in a sensitive manner.
This account of stillbirth is so personal, so vividly described, that Lorraine Ash could be considered The Voice for bereaved mothers who have so long struggled to put our loss into words & to try to make others (who are often insensitive or not understanding of the pain we endure) understand.
I am so sorry for anyone that loses a child to stillbirth, and I feel lucky to have found Ash's book. She was so brave--a loving and devoted mother of an Angel--to share her pain with us in this moving tribute to Victoria.
Rating:
Summary: Embracing Destiny with Grace and Strength
Review: "The only way to live my life is to love this fate because it is mine, because it was entrusted to me."I have committed Lorraine Ash's words to memory because this one line applies to all of us, whether we have lost children or not. Each of us is faced with some hardship in this life that makes us question how and whether to go on. Each of us needs to find the grace in being who we are and embracing destiny the way Ash has. Lorraine's book is a testament to the strength present when one seeks to find the greater good from a terrible blow. She shows us what it is like to suffer profound loss and feel that loss deeply, all while navigating the way toward healing and moving forward. We can all learn from Lorraine no matter what hand we ourselves are dealt -- making this a book for everyone, no matter what path you may walk.
Rating:
Summary: Embracing Destiny with Grace and Strength
Review: "The only way to live my life is to love this fate because it is mine, because it was entrusted to me." I have committed Lorraine Ash's words to memory because this one line applies to all of us, whether we have lost children or not. Each of us is faced with some hardship in this life that makes us question how and whether to go on. Each of us needs to find the grace in being who we are and embracing destiny the way Ash has. Lorraine's book is a testament to the strength present when one seeks to find the greater good from a terrible blow. She shows us what it is like to suffer profound loss and feel that loss deeply, all while navigating the way toward healing and moving forward. We can all learn from Lorraine no matter what hand we ourselves are dealt -- making this a book for everyone, no matter what path you may walk.
Rating:
Summary: Thanks for the "Bathroom Book"
Review: (The following is an e-mail I sent to the author.) That is not sarcasm, but a compliment. I ordered your book from Amazon (did you get the royalty payment yet?) and I have been savoring it. It is so "rich" in ideas that I dare not read it too fast, hence its honored location in our home where I can enjoy a few pages at a time, thereby making it "last" longer. The "Invisible Society". What a concept! You captured the essence of stillbirth. I am threatening to write a book myself. I've attached the front and back cover. All I need now is the time to assemble my thoughts and fill 120 pages or so. (At least now I know who to send the manuscript to for "polishing" when I do get around to it.) Aside from the content, which is thought provoking to say the least - "where does the soul go" - I love the "f-l-o-w". It's like a meandering stream winding through the Scottish moors, in no particular hurry to reach the sea. I also like the way it bends and curves back on itself before resuming its original and inevitable procession to an end.... as all things must.I write these observations on the basis of the first 46 pages. You may yet disappoint me, but I doubt it. If there is a choice of one stillbirth book for the intelligent mother (or father) to read, this is it. (...)
Rating:
Summary: A sensitive and beautiful tribute
Review: I found this account so helpful as I read it after the stillbirth of my daughter Katie at 23 weeks gestation. It encourages us to draw strength from devastation and to find hope in the most painful of circumstances. It is gently written. The tenderness of these bereaved parents for their daughter shines through. It helped me.
Rating:
Summary: The One Book to Read on Surviving Stillbirth
Review: I ordered your book from Amazon and I have been savoring it. It is so "rich" in ideas that I dare not read it too fast. A few pages a day is all I allow myself thereby making it "last" longer.
The "Invisible Society". What a concept! You captured the essence of stillbirth. I am threatening to write a book myself. I've attached the front and back cover. All I need now is the time to assemble my thoughts and fill 120 pages or so. (At least now I know who to send the manuscript to for "polishing" when I do get around to it.)
Aside from the content, which is thought provoking to say the least - "where does the soul go" - I love the pace of the writing. It tracks like a meandering stream winding through the Scottish moors, in no particular hurry to reach the sea. I also like the way it bends and curves back on itself before resuming its original and inevitable procession to an end.... as all things must.I write these observations on the basis of the first 46 pages. You may yet disappoint me, but I doubt it. If there is a choice of one stillbirth book for the intelligent mother (or father) to read, this is it.
Richard K. Olsen, Founder
The National Stillbirth Society
(...)
Rating:
Summary: Universal feelings for stillbirth parents put into print
Review: I was fortunate enough to attend a reading by Ms. Ash this afternoon. I brought her book home and read it in a few hours. There was not a feeling expressed in her book that I as a stillbirth mother did not either feel myself or completely understand. Ms. Ash makes stillbirth parents feel so less alone with her words. Lorraine has a gift, and through her total embrace of the life of her daughter Victoria, she has the power to help so many women and men facing the same tragic reality that she and her husband faced 5 years ago. She reaffirmed my belief that our stillborn children's lives are a thing of beauty and that they have the power to do great things through us their parents, even though they are no longer physically present. Thank you, Lorraine.
Rating:
Summary: Universal feelings for stillbirth parents put into print
Review: I was fortunate enough to attend a reading by Ms. Ash this afternoon. I brought her book home and read it in a few hours. There was not a feeling expressed in her book that I as a stillbirth mother did not either feel myself or completely understand. Ms. Ash makes stillbirth parents feel so less alone with her words. Lorraine has a gift, and through her total embrace of the life of her daughter Victoria, she has the power to help so many women and men facing the same tragic reality that she and her husband faced 5 years ago. She reaffirmed my belief that our stillborn children's lives are a thing of beauty and that they have the power to do great things through us their parents, even though they are no longer physically present. Thank you, Lorraine.
Rating:
Summary: Touchingly authentic story of courage.
Review: I would recommend LIFE TOUCHES LIFE to anyone who wants to know about the experience of stillbirth. Lorraine Ash's book is touchingly authentic and is as real as it gets! It is a quick reading book and the basic story about Victoria's short life (she died the day she was to be born) is told in under 50 pages. The core of this book is how the author grapples with the grieving process of going home without her child. She touches on the loneliness, the sense of failure and the bewildering range of emotions that she endured. She makes it clear her husband's ordeal is different, his grieving different, but his pain is just as intense. Lorraine Ash describes the traumatic thinking that engulfed her and over time she created more authentic responses that eventually helped her cope with this cruel and shocking experience. Having had a stillborn daughter, this book awakened the traumatic memories I was never able to share (stillbirth is not a topic women discuss - and never pregnant women). I came to appreciate that I, too, had reached a new level of awareness as a result of enduring this devastating tragedy. I never really thought about it before, but as the author pointed out, you get real and don't throw away a day without gratitude or leave a kind word unsaid. Ms. Ash helped me feel less alone in my grief. And for this fact alone, the book is worth its weight in gold!
Terry Charlton
Rating:
Summary: Touchingly authentic story of courage.
Review: I would recommend LIFE TOUCHES LIFE to anyone who wants to know about the experience of stillbirth. Lorraine Ash's book is touchingly authentic and is as real as it gets! It is a quick reading book and the basic story about Victoria's short life (she died the day she was to be born) is told in under 50 pages. The core of this book is how the author grapples with the grieving process of going home without her child. She touches on the loneliness, the sense of failure and the bewildering range of emotions that she endured. She makes it clear her husband's ordeal is different, his grieving different, but his pain is just as intense. Lorraine Ash describes the traumatic thinking that engulfed her and over time she created more authentic responses that eventually helped her cope with this cruel and shocking experience. Having had a stillborn daughter, this book awakened the traumatic memories I was never able to share (stillbirth is not a topic women discuss - and never pregnant women). I came to appreciate that I, too, had reached a new level of awareness as a result of enduring this devastating tragedy. I never really thought about it before, but as the author pointed out, you get real and don't throw away a day without gratitude or leave a kind word unsaid. Ms. Ash helped me feel less alone in my grief. And for this fact alone, the book is worth its weight in gold!
Terry Charlton
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