A HEARTBREAKING STORY OF LOSS, FAMILY SECRETS AND A DAUGHTER’S SEARCH FOR HER MOTHER.
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"A triumphant story of a woman coming to terms with the loss of her mother and an inspiring, though haunting, testament to the endurance of the human spirit." – Kirkus

When young Barbara Bracht's mother suddenly vanishes from her life, no one tells her that her mother has died while giving birth to her younger brother, Eddie. Her father is intent upon erasing any memory of his dead wife, but Barbara continues to believe that her mother is missing until a cousin tells her the truth. As the years of deception unravel, the tough and sassy Barbara struggles to pursue her own dreams and make peace with a crushing family secret. Offering hope, Veronica's Grave is a captivating story that asks us to consider what parents owe their children, and how far a child will go to keep the memory of her mother alive.

In 2017, Harper Collins Canada published the book under the title of Missing Mother.

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AUTHOR NOTES

As memoir is ofttimes a suspect genre, I wanted to address a few issues. The question for authors is what do we remember? It's my belief that we remember most vividly the emotionally-charged events, especially those related to such hot-button feelings as shame, embarrassment, and humiliation. Indeed, drawing upon recent research findings, neuroscientists tell us that the more painful the incident, the more likely to be remembered.

The decision to tell Veronica's Grave with a youthful narrator was made with the hope of placing the reader in the room with the child. Like a fly on the wall. And while the young girl's perspective is limited,her voice has a compelling intimacy and innocence. All the happenings, conversations, and fallout are factual, with the more repetitive and digressive conversations condensed. The scenes depicted are meant to be impressionist snapshots, fleeting moments in time representative of the fuller picture. If there has been any selective editing, it has not been done at the expense of truth.

Veronica's Grave (aka Missing Mother) highlights a number of issues, including the widespread phenomenon of unresolved childhood grief -- be it from death, divorce or the incarceration of a loved one. Running parallel is the concern about parental and/or the societal devaluation of girls and women. Ultimately, there is the imperative that when down for the count, you get up off the mat. To quote the inestimable former First Lady of the Untied States: Eleanor Roosevelt: 'One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes...And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.'

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2017 IBPA BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SILVER MEDAL

2017 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALIST

2017 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD 'DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE'

2016 READERS' FAVORITE SILVER MEDAL FOR MEMOIR

2016 BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS SILVER MEDAL

NOMINATED FOR THE 2017 PUSHCART PRIZE

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