Kirjahaku

For small-town librarian Priscilla Park, transforming the historic Willow House into a museum is more than a job-it's a project close to her heart. But when the property's ownership is suddenly challenged and the house faces public auction, Priscilla's world is upended. Still grieving the loss of her aunt, she takes on the daunting task of saving Willow House and her reputation. As she works to solve the mystery, Priscilla unexpectedly uncovers hidden family stories and confronts the Korean traditions and superstitions she grew up with. Along the way, she finds herself letting go of old doubts and fears, gaining a quiet confidence she hadn't known before. With her loyal friends by her side, Priscilla races to unravel a Civil War-era intrigue and save Willow House before its secrets and her town's heritage are lost forever. What she discovers may not only preserve a landmark, and spark interest in the community, but also transform her own life in unexpected ways.

The author is not only a counselor but a mother who has experienced a great loss, the loss of her child. She takes you on a journey with her as she unpacks her grief on paper through poetry; but, she also gives the reader tools to be able to move through their grief process. Here is an excerpt from her book, A Counselor's Poetic Guide Through the Grief Journey: "My words used to hide in my chest like the extremities of a turtle in uncharted territories. Like many of you, writing poetry as a child and adolescent helped me express myself and overcome being shy. In high school, two friends and I collaborated on a poem about family trauma and death loss. The piece brought our classroom to tears and revealed to me the moving power of words. For the next decade, life happenings took precedence over my writing. However, when my son Nathaniel "Peanut" died, I desperately needed to unhook from the anchor of despair. Poetry was my expressive homeland. Now, the prodigal daughter, I found my way back to writing. The healing power of spoken word became clear when I expanded beyond writing poems to performing at open mic events. The mutual support we created, as we shared the underbelly parts of our circumstances, filled me with hope."Here you can be free to unpack whatever it is you need to heal from but may have been unable to. This book is also a tool for other counselors to use with their clients who may be suffering during a difficult loss in their lives.