The Other Light of Darkness
A book of grief and longing
No one knew about his hidden stories, the shame, the fear, the abandonment, the loneliness and the darkness...
Determined to uncover the truth about her husband's sudden death, Mona delves deeper and deeper into the darkness of his past. She unravels hidden stories and, at the same time, grapples with her own feelings of guilt and the haunting power of stories that were never shared. Will she succumb to the grief and despair of a lost love, or will she emerge from the darkness and reclaim her life?
The Other Light of Darkness is an unflinching journey of grief explored with kindness and love in a time of great anger and sorrow.
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Reviews for The Other Light of Darkness
Petronella Catharina has beautifully interwoven three storylines: a love story, a life story, and a bitter farewell, accompanied by pain and guilt, asking herself questions of why her dear partner did what he did.
- Marjet Maks, Novelist and Reviewer
A powerful and intimate story about grief, anger, and the emotional aftermath of a husband’s suicide. The author writes with striking emotional clarity as she pieces together her husband’s childhood, trying to understand the forces that shaped him and the silence he carried. The narrative gives an insight into how emigration and leaving one’s home threaded through the narrative is the quiet ache of emigration – the way leaving one’s home can unsettle identity and belonging -adding another dimension to both his inner world and her search for meaning in the wake of loss. A moving, insightful and unforgettable read.
- Inge Priem, Social worker and Art Therapist
There is a palpable sense of love, shock, confusion, and unanswered questions that often accompany suicide loss, and many readers with lived experience will recognise themselves in that emotional landscape. In this regard, the story has real power and authenticity. With careful attention to reader safety, pacing, and ethical nuance, it has the potential to contribute to conversations about grief and suicide in an honest way without being harmful, and compassionate without being sanitised.
- Amanda Lambros, Therapist specialising in relationships, grief, and mental health