Edna's Gift by Susan Rudnick Book Spotlight!

EDNA’S GIFT: How My Broken Sister Taught Me to Be Whole by Susan Rudnick

She Writes Press

Publication date: June 4, 2019

ISBN 978-1631525155; Memoir; 208 pages; Trade Paperback; 5 ½ X 8 ½; $16.95

E-book $9.95

DESCRIPTION:
When they were young, Susan and Edna, children of Holocaust refugee parents, were inseparable; Edna was Susan’s first love and constant companion. But as they grew up and Edna’s physical, and mental challenges altered the ways she could develop, a gulf formed between them. Susan’s life became even more complicated when, just short of her sixteenth birthday, she learned that she’d been born without a uterus and would never menstruate or give birth to children. As she coped with this trauma, Edna continued loving her unconditionally, as she always had.

In her adult years Edna lived a life of dignity in a spiritual community, becoming a model for how Susan could live hers. In her forties, Susan realized her dream of motherhood when she adopted a daughter. Throughout, Edna remained a teacher and loving presence in her sister’s life.

Encompassing Susan and Edna’s lifelong, complex, intertwining relationship, Edna’s Gift has a powerful message: life may be unpredictable, even traumatic―but if you remain open, strength and wisdom will come to you from surprising and unexpected sources.

PRAISE:
“Rudnick’s debut memoir examines her complicated relationship with her developmentally disabled sibling as well as her own tumultuous path to self-acceptance and fulfillment…Rudnick is a talented writer, often displaying a keen ability to capture emotional intensity through concise prose.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“…Rudnick has walked us through every aspect of growing up with a sibling who has a developmental disability. . . . astonishingly candid . . . . It’s a wonderful book. I read it twice.”

—Emily Perl Kingsley, parent, Emmy winning writing, author of "Welcome to Holland"

“Edna’s Gift is the exquisite story of sisters caught in a lifelong struggle for healing and wholeness . . . It moved me profoundly, to laughter and tears, and deserves a place on your bookshelf alongside classic memoirs of sister love, including Elizabeth Lesser’s Marrow.”―Mark Matousek, author of The Boy He Left Behind and When You're Falling, Dive

“. . . and proves that our life’s greatest teacher often turns out to be the person we least expect. Rudnick’s lovely and moving memoir of her own journey toward fully embracing Edna―and herself―is a gift to us all.”―Barbara Graham, New York Times best-selling author of Eye of My Heart

“. . . will draw you in and keep you reading. . . This book will stay with me for a long time.”

―Kay Berry, an administrator of MRKH Experiences, Advice and Support

“. . . For anyone intrigued by the process of transformation, Edna’s Gift is a source of inspiration.”―Judith Ruskay Rabinor, PhD, author of A Starving Madness and Befriending Your Ex After Divorce

“. . . had me hooked from the first page.”―Linda Atwell, author of Loving Lindsey

“. . . an eloquently crafted exploration of how her life has been shaped by her sister. The result is an honest, insightful and love-filled memoir.”―Theresa Sullivan, author of Mikey and Me

“Beautifully written. . . I literally could not put it down.”—Barbara K Schwartz, PhD, author of Hopeful Paths

“ . . . I love this book for its honest telling, for the transformational power of understanding that is the heart of the story, and for its beautiful clear prose.”—Susan Hadler, author of The Beauty of What Remains

"There's something about sisters. A moving tribute to her sister, Susan Rudnick's books is a truthful examination of her relationship with her sister and her sister's mental and physical challenges. Beautiful."—Lee Virden Geurkink, Monkey and Dog Books, Fort Worth, TX

BIO:

Susan Rudnick was born in New York City to refugee parents escaping from Nazi Germany. The crucible for her major life choices has been her relationship with her sister, Edna. It sparked her desire to become a healer, and she has been practicing psychoanalysis and psychotherapy for over forty years in Manhattan. As well, Edna’s spirit of unconditional acceptance was the seed of Susan’s spiritual journey, which ultimately led her to embrace both her Jewish heritage and Zen Buddhism. Susan is a published haiku poet. Culled from thousands of submissions, one of her haikus appears in New York City Haiku: From the Readers of The New York Times. She and her husband live in Westchester, New York. Learn more at https://susanrudnick.com/

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