Author's Note -- Prologue -- "I Forgot How to Pray " -- Part One: Before the Sunset -- Part Two: Genesis of Family -- Part Three: Sinner -- Part Four: Transition -- Part Five: Homeless -- Part Six: California -- Part Seven: Stronger -- Part Eight: Full Circle, The Sunset -- Epilogue -- Lessons I Have Learned That Might Help You -- About the Author.
Summary:
Quiet your mind, and the silence will help you hear your inner voice--the one that says, "Stay strong enough to forgive, to heal, and to have hope." In her stirring, vulnerable new memoir, Karena Dawn reveals what it was like to grow up with a mother suffering from severe mental health issues, and how, during her teenage years, she desperately tried to escape her own inner demons. Addicted to pain-numbing drugs and crippled by severe depression, Karena learned how to use grief as a teacher, releasing herself from guilt and shame and finding the inner strength to go from abandonment to forgiveness, from hopelessness to healing. Karena's bold and brave memoir shows us how staying silent about mental illness only reinforces the stigma. At the heart of her story is the eternal struggle we all share--how to move past the pain and suffering of our personal battles to experience life's joys. Through the healing power of nature, meditation, and fitness, Karena was able to forge a path to self-discovery and find peace. Ultimately, The Big Silence reveals how a journey of self-love can lead to a renewed sense of identity and a life filled with hope and optimism.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.