Book Review: In Her Wake by Dr. Nancy Rappaport - Page 2

Eventually, the author’s mother had an affair. Divorce followed. Papa was granted custody of the children. Regardless of the scandal, Mama was convinced that if she could show a definite stability in her life, she could prove it before a judge and win back her offspring. That never happened. Nancy remarried, possibly in an attempt to show how her life had stabilized. Still, her children were the possession of her Bostonian philanthropist husband who had remarried. Just months later, his divorced wife committed suicide.

As a whole, In Her Wake is somewhat clinical, but I'm sure that's what the author intended. She cannot help put her analyst’s interpretation on events leading up to her mother’s death. She attempts to answer over and over again, the “What if?” question she can never escape because her mother is not here to explain.

She argues that if a person is in a delicate, threatening, emotional state, that person should be seen by a psychiatrist who can administer medications to chemically alter the destructive thought patterns of the brain until the dangerous mental state can be analyzed, understood, and effectively dealt with. Often, this is accomplished through cognitive therapy where clients are taught to write out deeply troubling thoughts, name them, and then rebut them.

Rappaport feels that her mother was quickly approaching such an extremely agitated psychic state after losing her final battle for her children in court. Yes, she was in therapy, but with a psychotherapist who, even if he recognized Nancy’s severe symptoms, did not have the license to prescribe helpful medications.

So, who should read In Her Wake? I think the book is an appropriate read for adults and knowledgeable adolescents who have lost a loved one. The author explains, in layman’s terms, the feelings of sorrow, hopelessness, meaninglessness, and often despair that haunts people who remain alive after someone they loved has passed on.

This book would be of particular interest to family members who have endured or witnessed a suicide. Dr. Rappaport’s words offer encouragement, enlightenment, and hope. If you are a guilt-ridden person, In Her Wake will lessen those feelings because you will never really answer the question “What if?” What you can do is move on with your life knowing others have suffered the same loss. Like her, the best thing you can do is grieve, love yourself and move on.

Article Author: Regis Schilken

Regis Schilken's stories reflect his search for meaning in a very human but frightening way. Three of his books have been published: The Oculi Incident, The Island Off Stony Point, and a third, You Know When was just recently released. …

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