When I first published my book, Letters to Matthew, I felt extremely uncomfortable. What if people wanted to read it or what if they didn’t? Sharing my book with the world was allowing other people, including complete strangers, into my personal world. I experienced lots of conflicting thoughts and feelings.
A few weeks after my book was published, I soon became overwhelmed by the incredible reviews and messages I received, and they are still coming in.
One lady contacted me recently and explained that her son had been murdered. She went on to say how she was with me all the way as she read my book. Here she was saying wonderful things about my book and my family when her son had been brutally murdered. He was an innocent young man who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. How do you ever get over that? My son Matthew died in a comfortable hospice bed surrounded by the people who loved him, but she resonated with the same emotions and experiences I went through. Loss is loss!
I have had others tell me how reading the book has helped them process their experience of grief and how it has helped them to move forward. For others it challenged their own beliefs and helped change perspectives in a good way. People have told me how they could not put the book down. How it made them cry but laugh too. One reviewer explained – “I find it difficult to convey how beautifully written this book is…….”. I couldn’t believe they were talking about my book. Beautifully written! I just about scraped through English at school.
Other reviews:
“The positive messages shine through in this wonderful heartfelt book.”
“I can honestly say that I have never read a book from cover to cover which has moved and touched me so much as this beautifully written journey of grief. Pure love and raw honesty shine out of every page.”
Even Victoria Derbyshire from the BBC wrote, “This book is incredible – honest, poignant and open, and it’s going to help so many people”.
‘Letters to Matthew’ has been out since April 2019 and it doesn’t feel like my book anymore. I have no control over its future, and it is too late to make any further changes or edits. I have let go of the outcome and allowed it to fledge.
I now feel it belongs to the person reading it.
I know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but the book was not written for everyone.
I am incredibly grateful for all the positive reviews on Amazon and for all the wonderful messages and emails I have received and continue to receive. Each time I receive a new positive review or message it confirms to me that sharing my grief with the world was the right thing to do.
I hope Matthew is proud of his mum as I am of him.
“If you do not understand why someone is grieving so much for so long – consider yourself fortunate that you do not understand.”
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