My Letters to Amy

by Kimberley Schumacher

I can't change how people choose to see things. I can choose to forgive. I may even be the lucky one. As the scapegoat I was sent out and away, shunned by all sides and made to carry the guilt of the entire situation on my head. But I was sent away, out into the wilderness where I cried, I mourned, and I was able to heal instead of harbor resentment and hatred. From there I began to rebuild, and pray for forgiveness. I would pray so that I could forgive. Then I began to feel restored and my Father in heaven began to help me see myself the way He does. I don't have to carry the pain; I only need from time to time to explain the scars. Hopefully, in doing so, I can prevent some of history's mistakes from invading our tomorrows... It's our turn now, put down the rocks, share the gift.

262 pages, Paperback

Published July 19, 2016

Reviews

[Kas Avallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author, I'm excited to bring this story idea to the market! "My Letters to Amy" has been a personal journey of my own that tells a story of searching, family, broken relationships, and connection. As I read the book through again to a friend, out loud, I return to the days of my own childhood. I am encouraged by the idea that it is never too late to "Drop the Rocks" of our past and "Share the Gift" of tomorrow with those who are closest to us.

[Debbie Chatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My letters to Amy is a book about the brokenness caused by divorce and remarriage from the perspective of a child stuck in the middle. The story is written from the perspective of the firstborn child from the first marriage as she reaches out to the only child from her dad's second marriage. I found this perspective intriguing as the author was able to portray both the hurt and confusion that children face in this situation as well as the fact that too often children become ploys in an ugly game of blame and revenge. I couldn't help but grieve for the child who was forced to grow up too quickly as being the oldest she was not only forced to raise her sister and brother, be a caregiver to her mother who wasn't able to cope, while simultaneously trying to be the bridge to her estranged father. All of this is more weight than any child should have to bear.

Yet among all the hurt and pain, the author uses this storyline to show how this difficult burden helped to shape the strong young woman who in adulthood was able to reach across time and space to bring healing to another, her stepsister. All in all a good read because in this book the reader is challenged to learn from the mistakes of the books characters. I like how at the end of each chapter, there is a summary section that highlights what we as the reader can take from this families stories. The focus of these summary sessions are on grace, respect, forgiveness, humility, understanding and acceptance. So don't skip over those as they are the meat of the book in my opinion with the storyline just supporting them.

The only thing I struggled with in this book was the fact that the story jumps back in time to when the main character was a kid to present day when the main character is now an adult. In fact, for the most part it is every other chapter of this change in perspective, and that took some getting used to during the first half of the book. To be honest I am typically not a fan of this approach but not sure if I just got used to, but during the second half of the book it either seemed to flow better or I was just accustomed to the change in views by this point.