The Second Chasm: A Soul's Troubled Journey from Despair to Healing

By Karen V. Kibler

"The Second Chasm" is a story that belongs to the twenty million people in the United States alone who suffer from depression. Six years after an emotionally devastating divorce, the author read "The Cracker Factory" and learned that the symptoms she had experienced were classical among those who are clinically depressed. This knowledge brought her healing and self-understanding. Just five years after reading the book, her second husband was killed in an accident, and soon after, she descended into a second chasm of depression. Perhaps the most compelling feature of "The Second Chasm" is that it was written by an average person who experiences grief not unlike that of so many others. It is not a story of the greatest tragedy or the most difficult challenge; rather, it is the story of a common tragedy and an all-too familiar challenge. It is unique because it bridges two of the most common losses faced in this world: divorce and widowhood. The two separate chasms that resulted not from grief, but from depression, were born of the same illness. The recoveries offer a message of hope, as she describes the journey from despair to healing.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932279318
• ISBN13: 9781932279313
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Sharing the Path

The Second Chasm is a book about grieving. Despite the topic, it is not a frightening book. It is a friendly book. It is as if a friend sat down with you and told you the story of her experience, walking you through it to be sure you understand, so that you can know you are not alone if and when you go through something similar. What's particularly helpful is the author's description about her own internal splitting and shutting others out, so even in that you don't need to be alone. The author refers often to a book called The Cracker Factory, by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt, and how that book gave her a touch-stone and hope when there was no hope. I happen to have discovered that same book at a similar time in my life, and it had the same affect on me. The Second Chasm thus feels like a book by a sister traveler along the same path. This book would be particularly good, I think, for someone not in a space to hear a lot of theory, but just to hear sharing that lets them know they're not alone.

The Road from Darkness into Light

I read Karen Kibler's book with great interest as depression and mental illness are in our family tree. Her story of dealing with clinical depression helped me learn so much about both problems as they often seem to be tenaciously interwined. Karen writes honestly and with great care, and it is a blessing that she has the courage to explain and discuss such painful things. "The Second Chasm" is deeply meaningful and I encourage anyone interested in this subject to read it. I am so grateful to her for having written this book. Sincerely, Emily Lodine

Powerful!

In the interest of full disclosure, I work with Karen and consider her to be a good friend. I have met some of the people that accompanied her on her journeys and have heard her relate many of her experiences before. She comes across so genuinely in this book, I could see and hear Karen saying some of the remarks. The experiences and feelings she conveys are so relatable. I cried hearing how hard things had been for her at times and for my own losses and struggles. She has led a very interesting life and tells great "stories" of her experiences. I could not put the book down! I read it straight through the first night. I think of Karen as someone who can do anything, is strong, extremely successful and happily married. I know it was her intention to help others and she has accomplished that - but like I said, she can do anything.

Better Than Many "Best Sellers"

Normally I am an avid fan of action and mystery novels like those of Cussler, Perry, Patterson or Sanford, with a historical biography or two tossed in for good measure. The last two books I read that were anything like "The Second Chasm" were written by Mitch Albom -- and that was some time ago. Recently I was given a copy of Karen Kibler's book, and had one of those resigned "I'll give it a try becasue I was asked to" moments when I started reading. From that point on it was impossible to put the book down until it was finished. The writing was wonderful and not only took me into the author's personal world, but rekindled all the low and high emotions I had buried years ago because of my own personal experiences. The truth is that it was cleansing to feel those emotions again as the book reminded me that we all can and often do learn from the painful things that have happened in most everyone's life. In several short hours I closed the book cheering for this remarkable woman and feeling stronger about myself and renewed with energizing hope. From beginning to end, reading Mrs. Kibler's book was like being with her through the "chasms" of her life, and becoming her good friend and confidante in the process. What a gift for connecting with her readers she has. For anyone who has either: been depressed or simply feels down (as I suspect many are in today's economy); knows someone who seems depressed and needs a lift; or, just wants to read an inspirational, true story written as well as and better than many best-selling novels, he or she must read "The Second Chasm". They won't regret it, and will most likely recommend it to their friends, just as I do now. Give yourself a positive experience -- read this book. It will be worth it in more ways than you can imagine. Thank you Karen Kibler! Cliff St. John