Robert D Reed Publishers
SWAN LESSONS: A Bereaved Mother's Story of Courage and Discovery
SWAN LESSONS
A Bereaved Mother's Story of Courage and Discovery
by Joyce A. Harvey
AN OUTSTANDING INTERVIEW by Mark Schultz/Word Refiner (click on this link).
Reviews of Swan Lessons:
“Joyce’s book is an outstanding example of the struggles many single bereaved parents experience, yet all bereaved parents will readily relate to her grief journey. Her metaphors of grief, honest feelings of regret, courage to find validation, a means of forgiving herself, and various avenues of growth on her healing journey will inspire others to continue to find the ‘Swan Lessons’ on their journeys.
"There are very few excellent books written by now-childless parents, but there is a tremendous need for this information and support. This book not only encourages single, now-childless parents but is an encouragement for all bereavement parents that there is hope for their future.”
~ Kay Bevington, Founder & President, Alive Alone
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“At a time when the world needs to heal, here comes SWAN LESSONS. Joyce has transitioned her painful life experiences to be a guiding light for others! Thank you for your vulnerability for the sake of helping and healing others.”
~ Ann Reeves, Founder, Unity Consciousness
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"The devastation of losing an only child never goes away. For some, it increases with time. This might have been the direction this author, Joyce Harvey, was doomed to live. Grief and guilt had settled into her cells, invading her DNA. She prayed for her own death—until Jen, her deceased daughter, and animal lover, reached out to her from the other realm with plenty to say—beginning with surprising visitations from a kitten that first appeared the day after Jen died. As the author explains, “The first time I noticed it, I was standing in the doorway of Jens’s room, looking at her things and sobbing. I looked up at the window and saw Kitty sitting on the ledge staring at me.” The kitten, also witnessed by others, continued to appear to Joyce during her most intense moments of loss.
"The first half of SWAN LESSONS deals with the author’s loss of her only child. The second half brings to light many verifiable experiences that her daughter, now in spirit, is very much aware of her mother’s trauma and sending love in her own words. With these messages, some coming through a respectable evidential medium, Joyce is able to release the guilt she had taken on when she assumed she could have prevented her daughter’s suicide.
"SWAN LESSONS is especially for those experiencing the overwhelming loss of a loved one. It’s also an important guide for anyone wishing to support a grieving parent without repeating often well-meaning but uncomfortable comments. I recommend this book—even if you haven’t personally suffered from this situation. At some point, we all will know someone who has. This account of love and forgiveness across the veil between life and death is a refreshing reminder that there’s more to life than we realize." ~ Sandy Kretzschmar
BOOK SUMMARY:
Military harassment, suicide, surviving the loss of an only child, after-death communication, and visitation dreams, Joyce A. Harvey’s book, SWAN LESSONS: A Bereaved Mother’s Story of Courage and Discovery, an account of a Marine’s struggles and a mother’s loss, combines all of these aspects in a story that reads like dramatic fiction.
SWAN LESSONS is an account of military harassment, a series of poor decisions, and the desperate suicide of a young Lance Corporal. It describes the daunting challenge of a bereaved mother attempting to proceed with a public career in the midst of profound grief. It is also an amazing story of ongoing communication with the spirit of her daughter Jennifer, through dreams, signs, and spiritual mediums, including George Anderson. The author tackles tough subjects such as whether to pursue a wrongful death suit with the military. She also takes on clichés that are typically said to the grief-stricken and helps readers understand why they are better left unsaid. She shares dreams where she was warned she might lose Jennifer, and dreams in which Jennifer visits following her death. As the book winds its way through the canyons of profound grief, it at the same time offers glimpses of hope, moments of utter astonishment, and examples of courage. The author skillfully weaves journal entries, as well as letters to and from Jennifer, to tell the story of a mother-daughter bond even death cannot sever.
Jack Canfield, of Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, in referring to SWAN LESSONS stated, “This book picks up where the movie, A Few Good Men ends—with the family holding the pieces.”
About the Author: Joyce A. Harvey is a motivational and inspirational speaker and writer. She is the author of I’m Fine … I’m With the Angels, a children’s book on death and the survival of the spirit, and the author of How Do You Grow A New Heart?. She is a contributing author for Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul-Daily Inspirations. Ms. Harvey won second and fourth place in the 2000 Writer's Digest Writing Competition, Memoir category, out of 19,000 total submissions. Those stories along with others can be found in Joyce’s manuscript, Mystical and Magical Travel Tales, for which she is also seeking representation/publication.
Her newest book is OPEN TO THE MOMENT: 25 Heartwarming Travel Stories. It is available as both a softcover through this website or Amazon and as an eBook on Amazon.
Joyce is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Gold Star Mothers, and the American Legion. She was selected as an “Outstanding Young Woman of America.” Ms. Harvey is active in the bereavement community. She frequently speaks on loss and has spoken at the annual conferences for The Compassionate Friends, The International Conference on Bereavement, Alive Alone, and In Loving Memory to name a few.
SWAN LESSONS: A Bereaved Mother's Story of Courage and Discovery
by Joyce Harvey
ISBN: 978-1-944297-90-9, 204 pages, 10 photos, $15.99
KINDLE eBook: 978-1-944297-91-6, $7.99
For quantity discounts, contact the publisher directly:
Robert D. Reed Publishers
(541) 347-9882
4bobreed@msn.com