The Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed: A Mother's Story of Loss and Hope

By Kathleen Willis Morton

Book Overview

After the death of her six-week-old son, Liam, Katie Willis Morton embarked on a courageous search for solace and understanding. The Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed invites readers to share in her voyage as she travels the world and the landscapes of her own experience. Interweaving what she witnesses--simple rituals like children's baths and picnics, and birth and death rites--with her own recovery and growth, she discovers that the pain she has experienced is both unavoidable and necessary, a pivotal part of the process of healing that can lead to ""a victorious kind of joy, of acceptance.""In discovering herself, Morton speaks to readers suffering similar tragedies, and indeed to all of us, in an intimate and inspiring story about enduring world-shattering pain and coming out whole. The Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed helps us confront the universal truths of love and loss that we all will eventually and inevitably encounter. This book will be a comfort to anyone who has faced a tragic loss, but not only that, it takes us all on a rich journey, through joy, suffering, and ultimately to hope, in a way that is quietly beautiful and, above all, utterly life-affirming.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861715659
• ISBN13: 9780861715657
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 175 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

hardest book I read

This is a wonderful book. It is also the saddest subject someone could ever talk about. It isn't natural for children to go before their parents. I am a Buddhist and I had cried my eyes out over Mrs. Morton book. I have not lost one of my children but it certainly made me think of how fortunate I am. This is the kind of book that gives a perspective of how really big your problems are. Mostly reminds you to cherish your children and all the blessings of life. Life is impermanent and we have to make the best of it to suffer less.

A Difficult Subject

Through her writing, Kathleen Willis Morton is able to articulate a most difficult and painful human experience. When my own daughter was born terminally ill, there was nothing like the Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed available. Kathleen bravely shares the all the pain and blessings these children bring during their short journey with us here on Earth.