The Silence of Morning: A Memoir of Time Undone

" ... the author gives us an insightful and candid memoir after the suicide of her son at 27. 'Grief was at the wheel' in this telling, but so are wisdom and discovery. At its center lies heartfelt candor in a lyrical voice in praise of life." --Mary L. Tabor, author of WHO BY FIRE

Knowing her son's death is a mystifying, but forceful, catalyst, the author pursues the deeper story of loss via the greatest life mysteries. Her searching is persistent despite a world that says "there is no time," and she is inspired by a strong desire to study the human condition. The unknown becomes intensely personal when staggering changes occur. "The deeper life story is personal, yet, universal. Seek it quietly, diligently. But seek it," the author stresses.

We all encounter unexpected challenges; we all need courage and passion to explore painful realities. Surveying her loss and life experience with compassion and persistence, the author shares her son's struggle to find meaning and purpose in a chaotic world that serves up escape, excitement, and excess as "solutions." Hickman, turning to her background in sociology, also questions the viability of a contemporary culture that somehow points too many in the wrong direction.

Do we really understand the role of addiction in society, or why this age-old problem assumes an endless variety of destructive, life-threatening forms?

Stepping beyond the personal dimension ... we are a world born of connection, the author points to the profound influence of culture and society, noting the realities of a rather toxic climate of addiction. "The human species seems addicted to a great variety of things." Articulating challenges faced by every family, every individual, the author shines a bright and compassionate light on the vagaries of the human condition.

THE SILENCE OF MORNING, a compelling memoir about life and death, culture and society, tells a poignant story of spiritual courage. As the author confronts the mysteries of existence in search of deeper understanding, she insists on staying true to the experience: commits to the "long view" instead of succumbing to generic cultural standards. Finding an illuminating thread when "grief is at the wheel" is a daunting challenge, however.

"... the gift of a spiritual seeker's brave inquiry." --Richard Gilbert, Shepherd: A Memoir

"Examining the world with narrative grace and balance ..." --Jen Knox, After the Gazebo

"... a new path. Holy and beautiful and heartbreaking." --Susan Hall Pohlman, Halfway to Each Other

"Despite a crushing loss ... here we have a warmth of spirit, understanding and compassion in a distancing world." --Madeline Sharples, Leaving the Hall Light On

"There are no pat answers here, but there is much meaning, peace, and - yes - hope." --John DeDakis, novelist, former senior editor CNN, writing teacher

EACH LIFE ... a reflection of the many mysteries we are born into. Mysteries lodged in silence. And ambiguity. Yet this story penetrates that silence, as the author initially survives its fierce echo after her son's sudden death, and then realizes she must, one day, embrace it. Author and spiritual thinker, Daisy Hickman readily admits, however, that she wasn't remotely prepared for the curious demands of loss. But then, who is, she wonders.

"Like a prairie windmill silenced by time, life felt heavy and still."

"Examining the world with narrative grace and balance, Hickman's autho­rial voice communicates the choppy stuff of life with elegance." --Jen Knox, After the Gazebo

Cover art by artist Paul C. Jackson, Columbia, MO.