Overview

Lindsey Henke is freshly married and a newly practicing psychotherapist when she finds out she is pregnant with her first child. Nine months later, on a cold Minnesota night in December 2012, after a perfect pregnancy, Lindsey goes into labor—only to be told upon arrival at the hospital that her baby has no heartbeat. After the stillbirth of her daughter, Lindsey grapples with the unbearable agony of losing a child. Unprepared to cope with a sorrow this deep, she uses the only tools she has—her skills as a therapist—to plot her own path through grief. Over the next year and half, as Lindsey mourns the loss of one child while simultaneously trying to hold space for the joy of expecting another baby, she learns that grief can live side by side with joy. When Skies Are Gray offers a poignant message to any mother who is grieving: Your pain is real. The sharp ache of the grief you feel will soften over time, though your love for the child you lost will always remain. And it’s okay to feel that love; it’s a mother’s love, and like lullabies, a mother’s love never dies.

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9781647426309

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Reviews

"""When Skies Are Gray is a beautiful memoir about a mother's love for her children, despite the unpredictability and heartbreak that is associated with motherhood more often than we like to think. With candor, Lindsey Henke takes us on a journey of joy and grief, showing us how life, and particularly motherhood, is often lived between the two."" --Jenny Albers, author of Courageously Expecting: 30 Days of Encouragement for Pregnancy After Loss ""As both a therapist and a mother, Lindsey has a unique perspective on grief and loss that is invaluable. Reading of her journey through the highs and lows of pregnancy, motherhood, and grief, we're given a window into the soul of a bereaved mother. Sentimental without being cloying, this memoir offers humor and honesty about how even for therapists, the path to healing is not a straight line."" --Amanda Ross-White, author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow: A Guide to Pregnancy After Loss ""When Skies Are Gray is an essential memoir for bereaved parents. In this visceral and visual account, Lindsey Henke shares her experience of pregnancy, loss, and healing. She captures the duality of life, its joys and sorrows, in this authentic, lyrical, and heartfelt story. Sprinkled with wit and wisdom on every page, this honest memoir feels like coffee with a friend. When Skies Are Gray is an invaluable companion on the unpredictable path of motherhood."" --Alexis Marie Chute, author of the award-winning memoir Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss"

“When Skies Are Gray is a beautiful memoir about a mother’s love for her children, despite the unpredictability and heartbreak that is associated with motherhood more often than we like to think. With candor, Lindsey Henke takes us on a journey of joy and grief, showing us how life, and particularly motherhood, is often lived between the two.” —Jenny Albers, author of Courageously Expecting: 30 Days of Encouragement for Pregnancy After Loss “As both a therapist and a mother, Lindsey has a unique perspective on grief and loss that is invaluable. Reading of her journey through the highs and lows of pregnancy, motherhood, and grief, we’re given a window into the soul of a bereaved mother. Sentimental without being cloying, this memoir offers humor and honesty about how even for therapists, the path to healing is not a straight line.” —Amanda Ross-White, author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow: A Guide to Pregnancy After Loss “When Skies Are Gray is an essential memoir for bereaved parents. In this visceral and visual account, Lindsey Henke shares her experience of pregnancy, loss, and healing. She captures the duality of life, its joys and sorrows, in this authentic, lyrical, and heartfelt story. Sprinkled with wit and wisdom on every page, this honest memoir feels like coffee with a friend. When Skies Are Gray is an invaluable companion on the unpredictable path of motherhood.” —Alexis Marie Chute, author of the award-winning memoir Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss “This book is a must-read and a must-gift for anyone who has suffered loss or has loved someone who has. Lindsey’s words are so thoughtful, so poignant, so carefully placed on the page. She gently takes the reader by the hand and doesn’t just show them the way through grief, but walks with them. Lindsey, and her writing, are truly a gift.” —Galit Breen, codirector of Listen to Your Mother Twin Cities “When Skies are Gray is a powerful story sharing the loss of a baby and the struggle of living on. Written with grace and vivid descriptions of the journey of the loss of Nora, Henke shares her climb back into a life that will never be the same alongside her continued bond and attachment to Nora. Although written mainly for bereaved parents, this book can provide helpful insight to health care providers' understanding of parental grief. I am privileged to endorse this book.” —Joann O’Leary, PhD, prenatal parent-infant specialist and author of Meeting the Needs of Parents Pregnant and Parenting After Loss

Author Information

Lindsey M. Henke is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist specializing in the grief that accompanies life transitions. She founded Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS), a nonprofit for parents pregnant after a previous perinatal loss or infant death. Her writing has been featured on TODAY.com and in Pregnancy and Newborn magazine, Huffington Post, and the New York Times. Lindsey enjoys hiking with her two living children and husband. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where during winter she can usually be found with her nose in a book.

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