\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Surprise! I\u2019ve been working on this book for over a year: drafting, revising, editing, pulling my hair out, sending it to beta readers, working with editors and cover designers and proofreaders. And yet I haven\u2019t spoken much about it online, aside from the occasional veiled tweet or Instagram caption. Perhaps because of the subject matter, I\u2019ve needed to move through this process in my own private way.<\/p>\n
And then when the global lockdown began, I took a definitive step back from blogging and posting on social media. Many of my heaviest grief moments mirror what\u2019s been happening \u2013 a fear of stepping outside, a need for isolation, worries about uncertainty, too much time spent with your own thoughts. It\u2019s been tough on everyone, in a myriad of different and unique ways.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had some internal struggle about whether it\u2019s OK to publish a book in the midst of a pandemic, too. Particularly one about grief and loss \u2013 a topic that\u2019s already pretty sad, but maybe more so during such a tense time.<\/p>\n
But then again, I\u2019m acutely aware of how many people\u2019s grief has been amplified over the last months, be it fresh grief or years-old wounds opening up again. There\u2019s been a rise in people messaging me with their own stories of loss, and I know, deep down, that personal stories of navigating grief are perhaps more necessary than ever now.<\/p>\n
So during the last few months, while \u2018isolation,\u2019 \u2018lockdown\u2019 and \u2018social distancing\u2019 became mainstays in our vocabulary, I\u2019ve been working frenziedly to get this book finished.<\/p>\n
And now it\u2019s here. My first ever book. I\u2019m still a little bit in shock.<\/strong><\/p>\n As the title may suggest, \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019 is about what it\u2019s like to become an orphan. Part memoir, part guide, the book takes you through the journey of grief. It combines practical advice with my own lived experiences about what to do before, during, and after the death of someone you love \u2013 along with all the emotional, mental and even physical overwhelm which kicks in, too.<\/p>\n Early Goodreads<\/a><\/span><\/strong> reviewers have said:<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like Flora is gently but firmly taking you by the hand and leading you down the path she has already travelled, to show you that the journey will be hard beyond all else but you will survive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cClearly-written and well-paced: a real guide to the worst of grief.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA vitally necessary book.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to say. I\u2019ve written honestly about the experience of my parents dying, the emotional responses I\u2019ve had, the difficulties which grief can throw at you, and the realisations that grief has eventually allowed me to understand. While I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s an upsetting read exactly, I\u2019ve tried to maintain a level of clarity, truthfulness and sensitivity throughout. And sometimes that may hit hard.<\/p>\n Basically, if you\u2019ve read any of my grief articles before<\/a>,<\/strong><\/span> this book is written in the same style.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve written about the grief I know intimately, which stems from parental loss. But I think the experience of intense grieving is usually rooted in the same set of responses for all of us. We all go through the same overwhelm, confusion and sadness, even if the specifics of our grief are unique.<\/p>\n Many people have written to me over the years because they\u2019ve been searching for stories which mirror theirs. These people have usually lost one or both of their parents. So while I\u2019d say this book is written primarily with them in mind, I think anyone who\u2019s suffered through grief will find parallels with their own experience. And I hope you\u2019ll find comfort in it too.<\/p>\n This is the book I needed to read when my parents died. It\u2019s emotional and raw, and it digs really deep, but it\u2019s necessary. The amount of unexpected trauma you struggle with during grief simply is not talked about \u2013 not enough, at least \u2013 and I really want that to change.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve read many grief books<\/strong><\/a><\/span> with a psychological or therapeutic slant, and an absolute ton of grief memoirs. Although they\u2019ve all been invaluable during my grief journey, I still felt that there was space for a book which combined personal experience with structured help \u2013 just without the psychoanalysis.<\/p>\n Plus I figured I\u2019ve written enough blog articles about grief to warrant creating a much longer piece of writing!<\/p>\n But the biggest reason was because of the messages I still receive every week from those of you who\u2019ve read those grief blogs. I tapped into something unexpected when I wrote about my parents dying before I turned thirty<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. I never expected that article to become the most-visited one on my site \u2013 but it opened my eyes to how many people needed a resource to help them feel less alone in grief.<\/p>\n Hopefully that\u2019s what I\u2019ve created with this book.<\/p>\n The book was published on June 20th \u2013 which just so happens to be my mum\u2019s birthday. It\u2019s available both as an ebook and as a paperback on all platforms \u2013 just click the links below to buy your copy!<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve bought the book on any of the above platforms and enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review. It\u2019s really helpful for allowing other readers to find my book \u2013 and it\u2019s also a great way for me to prove to future publishers that I\u2019m a good author to work with!<\/p>\n I\u2019m also pretty active on Goodreads and would love a review there too \u2013 users can add \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019 to their shelves here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m really excited, nervous and proud to be publishing \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019. I\u2019ve built this book out of the hundreds of conversations I\u2019ve had with other grieving people, all of whom needed a resource to accompany their grief. I firmly believe that it does those conversations justice.<\/p>\n I also wish I could tell my mum and dad about it \u2013 but then again, I couldn\u2019t have written it if they were still here. Life is funny like that. Still, publishing it on my mum\u2019s birthday means I\u2019ll be giving her a present for the first time in eleven years, which is pretty special too.<\/p>\nIntroducing \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019 \u2013 a book about learning to grieve the loss of your parents<\/h2>\n
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What is \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019 about?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Is \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019 an upsetting read?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Who is the ideal reader of \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What made you write \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019?<\/h3>\n
How can I read \u2018The Adult Orphan Club\u2019?<\/h3>\n
Order on Amazon UK<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Order on Amazon US<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Order on Kobo, iBooks, Google Play (and more!)<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
A little note about reviews:<\/h4>\n
So, I\u2019ve written a book.<\/h3>\n
Now the only thing left is for you to read it.<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
I can\u2019t wait to hear what you think!<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n