And Twice the Marrow of Her Bones

In my memoir, I grapple with many of the profound personal, philosophical, and spiritual questions with which bereaved parents struggle for years – if not for the rest of their lives.  

Through narrative, poetry, and a personal and philosophical journal, I aim to draw my readers into my family’s world during the long, wrong years of my daughter’s illness, and into my own emotional, intellectual, and spiritual journey in their aftermath. 

I address topics that range from food to fun to forgiveness, from pain to purpose to prayer –
and ultimately to the challenge of affirming faith and love

in an unpredictable, and often cruel, universe.

I hope very much that this book will provide assistance and support not only to bereaved families, but to anyone facing life’s inevitable challenges and trials.

"And Twice the Marrow of Her Bones can take you far from your expectations of a book about losing a child to cancer. The amazingly clear, honest prose can ennoble you no matter what you believe before reading the memoir.... Therapists and bereaved relatives would do well to read this memoir several times."
- Yocheved Golani, The Jewish Press

"And Twice the Marrow of Her Bones is a heartfelt, honest, illuminating and ultimately uplifting book, as one follows a family’s steadfast refusal to give up, even in light of crushing odds."

- Brian Blum, Israelity

"The book’s structure is a key part of its impact. It enables the reader first to experience the tragedy, and then to think back on it. It’s not a usual pattern for a book of this type.... But it turns out that the intensity of the story of loss that fills the book’s first half almost requires the retrospection of its second half....We owe [Susan Avitzour] thanks for allowing us to share something of a shadow of her pain."
- Haim Watzman, author of A Crack in the Earth and Company C

 

“In clear, moving prose, Susan teaches us all how to handle a burden that seems more than one person can bear. I couldn't put the book down. Sometimes it made me cry, sometimes laugh, and always it made me think. It is one of those books that you want to pass on to a friend as soon as you finish it.”

- Linda Gradstein, NPR contributor

Order on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twice-Marrow-Her-Bones/dp/9659146426/