{Review} The Littlest Angel by Heidi Chandler

ISBN #: 978-1479350421

Page Count: 180

Copyright: September 27, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Two weeks before her due date, my unborn daughter unexpectedly died. After the shock wore off, I found myself in the depths of depression, questioning my worth as a mother, wife, and human being. This deeply personal story of love, loss, and redemption follows my quest to find normal after being blindsided by death, and proves that it is possible to live, love, and smile again.

Charlene's Review:

The Littlest Angel is an emotionally raw testament of the love of a mother and the daughter she never had a chance to know. Ms. Chandler takes us through the sweetest and most horrifying moments of her life with honesty and deep insight. Unashamedly angry and bitter over the loss of her beloved Avery, this may very well be the most truthful look at stillbirth I have ever witnessed. Given platitudes from well-meaning friends and family, like "she's in a better place" and "this was God's plan," Ms. Chandler, while understanding their intention, reacts quite naturally with hurtful thoughts, which she painfully keeps to herself. As she struggles to recover in what others see as a "healthy" way, she hurdles further into a depression that leaves her afraid to leave the house, and clutching her daughter's urn as she watches TV.

This is a powerful book that left me equally sad and hopeful. While a majority of the story focuses on learning to cope with her loss, the ending has a redeeming quality that treasures the future, as well as the past. This will speak profoundly to anyone who has suffered the loss of a child, as well as anyone who doesn't know how to support a grieving parent. In writing her story, Ms. Chandler has given Avery the chance to live on. A beautiful memoir.


*A paperback copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.