|
|
National
Review Network - March/April 2002
...arrives
at a very appropriate time for many in the aftermath of Sept. 11,
2001. Storyteller, teacher, and healing coach Diane rooks draws on
her own experiences to explain the power of both telling and
listening to stories as a way of moving through a grieving process on
the path toward healing. Rooks writes, "Figuring out how to
transform my pain was necessary for my sanity. Sharing my stories
affords me the opportunity of finding ways to heal and grow and of
helping others do the same."
…a deeply moving and thought-provoking book that deals with
the uncomfortable but important subject of moving on after the death
of a loved one. In
sharing stories of her own loss and recovery, Rooks demonstrates how
her life poignantly exemplifies the healing powers of story even as
she teaches about them.
Elizabeth
Schechter, Baltimore, MD
|
| The
Midwest Book Review - January 2002
...a
meaningful, penetrating examination of narrative storytelling as an
emotional bonding and healing process. Chapters cover the positive
psychological and health-enhancing effects of storytelling, from
validating listeners as individuals to transforming pain an doffer
hope.
…a most fascinating read, but perhaps its highest
recommendation comes from the gentle healing stories within its
pages.
James
A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief |
|
|
NAPRA
ReView - January/February 2002
Counselors, clergy, and storytellers have reported that
stories help to heal people who have experienced a difficult loss.
This books affirms that what we do to foster those healing
stories—in ourselves and others—can help us to face difficulties
with trust and hope. Supported
by many years of storywork as well as extensive research and
interviews, Rooks is so convincing in part because she refers freely
to her own losses, particularly the death of her young son. From that devastating experience, she evolves a powerful
mixture of theory, research, and compassionate and emotionally
truthful storytelling to encourage and empower others.
Rooks affirms that stories restore the future, and offer hope—not
blind hope, but the hope that grows from gleaning insights as we
stumble through life. This
book will do much to convince people of all ages of the importance of
participating deeply in the sharing of personal stories of grief and
loss, and will enable greater acceptance and transformation of the
weight of sorrow.
Antoinette
Botsford, Review Editor |
|
Storytelling
Magazine – November/December 2001
Editor’s Note: There is hardly a person in America whose
life has not been touched in some way to by the terrorist attacks on
New York City and Washington, DC.
People are looking for answers and for ways to deal with
grief, loss and healing. (Spinning
Gold out of Straw: How Stories Heal is) …suggested as an
excellent source of information and stories.
After the sudden death of her son David, Diane began listening
to, collecting and telling stories that helped her make sense out of
a situation that made no sense. Her book began as a thesis for the M.Ed. in storytelling
from East Tennessee State University.
It incorporates extensive interviews research, insights and
stories from folklore and personal experiences.
Grace
Hawthorne, Managing Editor |
|
| Excerpt
Order
Book
About the
Book
Endorsements
|
Healing
Story Alliance – August 2001 Newsletter
There
are a lot of books on the market about death, dying and grief work.
There are also a lot of books on the market about using story in
death, dying and grief work. What makes Diane's book unique is that
she is a storyteller who has lost a son and has experienced,
first-hand, the importance of story in her grieving process and
ongoing healing. She weaves the story of her son, David's, death into
each chapter allowing us the unique opportunity
to move with her out of the theory of the healing art of storytelling
and into reality of the healing art of storytelling.
The
12 chapters are filled to the brim with quotes and references from
storytellers, authors, and other experts in grief work. Diane also
includes a generous number of chapter specific stories. Anyone
looking for new insights and ideas will find this book to be an
invaluable resource.
Kathy
McGregor, RN
|
|
