Title: We Never Left You
Authors: Beth and Rick Olsen
Genre: Non-Fiction / Memoir / Inspirational
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
After unspeakable tragedy, one couple must forge their own path to healing in the bittersweet true story, We Never Left You.
One moment, Beth and Rick Olsen were enjoying an ordinary life filled with all the joys and frustrations of raising their two children, Jessica and Joshua. The next moment, a drunk driver plowed through a red light at eighty miles per hour, hitting their van and changing everything.
The death of both their children launched Beth and Rick down a long and winding path toward simple survival—and eventual healing. As shock gave way to the cruel reality of their loss, they began receiving messages that proved the existence of life after death—a welcome sign that aided them in moving forward.
The Olsens soon attempted traditional healing methods but quickly found that counseling did nothing to help them get a grasp on their monumental loss. They then turned to nontraditional approaches—a decision that led them to Peru. It was there they finally began to undergo the immense physical, mental, and emotional changes that allowed them to understand everything—including the accident—happens for a reason.
Losing a child is the most terrible thing imaginable. Losing two sounds even worse. It can’t be described, so I wouldn’t even dare to begin trying. But that’s exactly what Beth and Rick Olsen went through when a druk driver plowed through a red light, hit their car and thus killed both their children.
It hurts to read this book, because it’s real. It’s not fiction. It details what this family went through. It hurts just to write this review because it makes me think about the tragedy they’ve experienced, and I wish things like that didn’t happen in life. That people didn’t have to go through these kinds of losses. But they do and it’s horrible. And the book is raw too, filled with emotion, about the hardships, about the tragedy, about how tough it is to go on living after that.
There’s some hope though. The Olsens go through the usual healing methods, like counseling, which doesn’t help. Deciding to go the non-traditional route, they end up on a journey to Peru, where they finally start healing, and start understanding everything happens for a reason. They also grow convinced – and for me, this was the sweetest part of the book, the part that completely ripped my heart out yet still made me smile – their children are still with them. This gives me hope.
Anyone who lost a kid, or someone else close to you, like a parent, grandparent…read this. Just do it. You’ll probably cry (I ended up filling half a bucket) and the loss Beth and Rick Olsen went through is devastating for sure, but this book also has a hopeful message. You can heal. You can recover.
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