Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love

Anna Whiston-Donaldson

Sep 2014 · Sold by Convergent Books

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A masterpiece of hope, love, and the resilience and ferocity of the human spirit.”—Glennon Doyle Melton, from the foreword
 
“Profound, tender, honest—and utterly unforgettable.”—Gretchen Rubin
 
“I wish I had nothing to say on the matter of loss, but I do. Because one day I encouraged my two kids to go out and play in the rain, and only one came home. . . .”
 
On an ordinary September day, twelve-year-old Jack is swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with awful questions: How could God let this happen? Can we ever be happy again?
 
In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother’s story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. This is a book about facing impossible circumstances and desperately wishing you could turn back the clock. It is about discovering that you’re braver than you think. It is about the flicker of hope and the realization that in times of heartbreak, God is closer than your own skin.
 
With this unforgettable account of a family’s love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps us—beyond all earthly circumstances—safe.

Ratings and reviews

I have little compassion for folks who attempt to profit off of personal tragedy. In order to get a more complete picture of this story, I suggest you take a gander at the author's mommy blog (which like most of its kind is all, "Me! me! me!"). You'll note that, while her son was alive, he was your normal, if not spoiled brattier than normal, pre-teen. This makes her portrayal of him in this book a some sort of sanit-y, wise-beyond-his years, adolescent philosopher quite hard to take. While I have no doubt that Donaldson losing her son was a painful experience and she misses him very much, this book and the accompanying mommy blog read like a shallow cry for attention and validation from friends, strangers and God. I was left feeling that the sympathy and attention she's garnered post-accident are some sort of consolation prize. Not cool. Should you be looking for material to help you gain perspective and help you heal and cope after a loss, please don't choose this book.

Profound, true, and beautifully written. It's hard to understand as a planner and someone who is always organized that there isn't a perfect path through grief. It's different for all of us. I'm glad she found herself and I know I will eventually find mine.

This book broke my heart and showed me hope and love all at the same time. Beautifully written and so very real and honest.

About the author

Anna Whiston-Donaldson is a popular blogger at An Inch of Gray. A graduate of James Madison University and Wake Forest University, she taught high school English for six years before becoming a full-time mom and writer. She lives with her husband, Tim, and daughter, Margaret, in suburban Washington, DC.