CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: On the Ledge: A Memoir by Amy Turner Book Tour, Guest Review and Giveaway!

On the Ledge: A Memoir by Amy Turner

Publisher: She Writes Press, (September 6, 2022)
Category: Memoir, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Wellness
Tour dates: September 6, 2022-October 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1647422257
Available in Print and ebook, 256 pages

Description On the Ledge by Amy Turner

In 1957, when Amy Turner was four years old, her father had to be talked down from a hotel ledge by a priest. The story of his attempted suicide received nationwide press coverage, and he spent months in a psychiatric facility before returning home. From then on, Amy constantly worried about him for reasons she didn’t yet fully understand, triggering a pattern of hypervigilance that would plague her into adulthood.

In 2010, fifty-five years after her father’s attempted suicide, Amy—now a wife, mother, and lawyer-turned-schoolteacher—is convinced she’s dealt with all the psychological reverberations of her childhood. Then she steps into a crosswalk and is mowed down by a pickup truck—an accident that nearly kills her, and that ultimately propels her on a remarkable emotional journey. With the help of Chinese Medicine, Somatic Experiencing, and serendipities that might be attributed to grace, Amy first unravels the trauma of her own brush with death and then, unexpectedly, heals the childhood trauma buried far deeper.

Poignant and intimate, On the Ledge is Amy’s insightful and surprisingly humorous chronicle of coming to terms with herself and her parents as the distinct, vulnerable individuals they are. Perhaps more meaningfully, it offers proof that no matter how far along you are in life, it’s never too late to find yourself.

Review On the Ledge by Amy Turner

Guest Review by Laura

Amy Turner's story is one that many of us can relate to. In her memoir, 'On The Ledge,' she talks about a tough childhood, where her parents, though loving, were often distant and how this has gone on to shape her life as an adult.

From her father's suicide attempt in the year 1957(Amy was only 4 years old), to her mother's struggles with alcoholism, Amy's parents spent her childhood waging inner battles that she would not fully understand until many years later.

Although she was unaware of her father's suicidal urges until she was a teenager, Amy still keenly felt the change in the dynamic of the household after his attempt. Growing up, she often wondered why her mother insisted on protecting her father's delicate emotional state and why she insisted on having such tight control over the household.

Of course, as an adult, Amy realizes that the control her mother exerted was a product of her recovering alcoholism-- that her mother felt she needed this control so that she would not relapse. But this level of understanding only came to Amy after she nearly died at the age of 57.

You see, Amy was hit by a pickup truck and had to spend time afterward dealing with the emotional effects that her accident created. The trauma of her accident, combined with the trauma of her childhood created mental health issues in Amy that she hadn't even been aware of previously.

'On the Ledge,' is a stunning look at trauma, PTSD, and coming to terms with the fact that our parents are, ultimately, only human. Amy's writing is wonderful, and her tender handling of some of the touchier subjects in this memoir makes the reader feel both safe and encouraged. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys working on themselves with the kind of “aha!” moment that comes with introspection. However, it is also a great read for anyone who loves to read about real life.

Amy Turner was born in Bronxville, New York, and is a graduate of Boston University, with a degree in political science, and of New York Law School, with a Juris Doctor Degree. After practicing law (rather unhappily) for twenty-two years, she finally found the courage to change careers at forty-eight and become a (very happy) seventh grade social studies teacher.

A long-time meditator and avid reader who loves to swim and bike, Amy lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Ed, to whom she’s been married for forty years. They have two sons. On the Ledge is Amy’s first book.

Website: https://www.amyturnerauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyturnerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyTurnerWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyturner2000/

Buy the Ledge by Amy Turner

Amazon
Bookshop.org
Indiebound

Giveaway On the Ledge by Amy Turner

This giveaway is for 2 print copies and is open to the U.S. only. This giveaway ends on October 5, 2022 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway