Rare bird : a mother's story of unthinkable loss, impossible hope, and a beautiful boy who flew too soon

The author shares the story of the loss of her twelve-year-old son to a flash flood, and how she and her family made their way through profound grief toward peace with the help of the presence of God.;You're braver than you think -- The storm -- Impossible -- Rara avis -- Tomorrow and tomorrow -- Nothing is impossible -- Full hearts. NEW YORK TIMES#160; BESTSELLER A masterpiece of hope, love, and the resilience and ferocity of the human spirit.Glennon Doyle Melton, from the foreword #160; Profound, tender, honestand utterly unforgettable.Gretchen Rubin #160; 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. . . . #160; 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:#160; How could God let this happen? Can we ever be happy again? #160; In#160; Rare Bird, #160;Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mothers 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 youre 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. #160; With this unforgettable account of a familys love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps usbeyond all earthly circumstancessafe 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 the awful questions: How could God let this happen? And, Can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace. In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mothers story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. Annas storytelling, says Glennon Doyle Melton, is raw and real and intense and funny. With this unforgettable account of a familys love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps usbeyond all earthly circumstancessafe. This is a book about facing impossible circumstances and wanting to turn back the clock. It is about the flicker of hope in realizing that in times of heartbreak, God is closer than your own skin. It is about discovering that youre braver than you think. 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.... ________________________________________________________________________ Praise for Rare Bird "In her beautiful, clear-eyed prose Anna brings to life complex miracles: that the anchor of being strong is tied to feelings of unbearable weakness; that the ache of grief is often accompanied by glittering beauty; and that all we do not understand is more important to making sense of life than what we know. Her story, as well as Jack's story, is gorgeous, bold and true, and no one will be unchanged in reading it." -- Stacy Morrison, Editor in Chief, BlogHer; author of Falling Apart in One Piece "This is not a book; it is a kaleidoscope. With every turn of the page, a new discovery is made that forever alters your view of pain, joy, heartache, time, hope,... -- Praise for -- -- Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times best-selling author of Hands Free Mama -- From the foreword by Glennon Doyle Melton, Momastery.com; author of Carry On, Warrior-- Mary C. Neal, MD, New York Times To Heaven and Back