There are many memoirs about grief and loss… but very few offer the reader a unique view of grief through the eyes of a child, explaining their perceptions, questions and concerns in a developmental context. In “I Know it In My Heart,”
Cumberland resident and clinical psychologist Mary Plouffe has done both, weaving her personal story together with insights on how to help children deal with grief. She told us, “When I looked for materials to guide me and my brother-in-law after my sister’s Martha’s death, I found nothing that described the raw reality of a grieving caretaker trying to soothe an abandoned child. It took me about five years to write it – I had to learn how to become a writer. But I knew it would be helpful.
The Center for Grieving Children (in Portland) has been supportive from Day 1, using the book with clinical staff as well as families.”
Mary said she resisted telling her story, but became convinced it was the best way to talk about the difference between adult and child grief. She said, “The real surprise was how the memoir community embraced it as useful for anyone who has been through grief at any age.”
The book has received national press and accolades. For example, Hope Edelman, author of the bestseller Motherless Daughters, wrote about it on Facebook.
Mary will deliver the Portland Maine keynote address at the Center for Grieving Children meeting in March 2018.
To learn more, visit:
www.maryeplouffeauthor.com