Lovely Tragic Miracle: A Memoir - Paperback

by Barbara Allen Burke (Author), Karyl McKendry (Author)

Early on a Wednesday morning in October 2010, Karyl McKendry got the phone call that everyone dreads: Pat, her 45-year-old husband and high school sweetheart, had been killed in a car accident. Even worse, her 21-year-old son had been driving. Her life changed in that instant. Suddenly she was a young widow, living in a falling-down house, and responsible for raising four children. She was left to manage finances, funeral arrangements, and overwhelming grief-alone. Lovely Tragic Miracle is Karyl's story of the first two years of her journey as a young widow and the surprising things she learned along the way: that grief-while painful-is healing, that friends and family feel desperate to help but often don't know how, and that even in the midst of great tragedy, lovely moments surface in unexpected ways.

Author Biography

Karyl McKendry is a founder of Paisley Project, a non-profit organization to help young-minded widows move from initial loss to new identities and renewed visions for their lives. Paisley Project also provides resources and information for the friends and family who love and support them. Barbara Allen Burke, a writer, counselor and teacher, is also Karyl's sister. Impressed by Karyl's insight and ability to articulate a widow's journey, she partnered with Karyl to create Lovely Tragic Miracle.