Suicide Survivors' Club book set was awarded a 2016 Midwest Book Award (first place) in the Autobiography/Memoir category. Books were submitted from the 12-state region. Awards were presented by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) at their 27th annual awards gala on May 12, 2017. (left to right) Will Anderson, Laurie Phillips, Rebecca Anderson, Louise Woehrle, Shannon Cogbill, Aidan Anderson, and Jon Spayde.
A family healing from suicide — told by a mother and her three children with fresh, poignant art
Winner of a Midwest Book Award (Autobiography/Memoir), May 2017. In this hopeful five-book set, a mother and her three children ages 5, 7 and 19 share their story after the suicide death of husband and father Don, in 2002. Their reflections are captured in their own words and through poignant art by artist/storyteller Laurie Phillips.
Eight years after guiding her family through the devastation of their collective loss, Rebecca 'Becky' Anderson and her children embarked on a healing journey with artist Laurie Phillips. Each family member had a unique story to tell of how the suicide impacted their life, within a book bearing their name: Becky, Pattie, Aidan and Will. The fifth book, Parenting the Suicide Survivors’ Club, is a memoir by Rebecca Anderson that gives context to the individual stories and offers the powerful perspective of a mother, wife and medical professional determined to put her broken family back together. Out of this creative collaboration between artist and suicide loss survivors came profound healing and the five -book set, Suicide Survivors’ Club: A Family’s Journey Through the Death of Their Loved One.
When we all work to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide, people struggling with it will feel less isolated and can reach out for help. We believe these books help loved ones dealing with suicide to start the conversation, open up and move forward on their own healing journey.
– Rebecca Anderson and Laurie Phillips
"These beautiful books are small pieces of art with narrative that express the different experiences and relationships to the same tragic event. They validate the feelings of loss survivors of all ages and also show how art can help heal. As a loss survivor myself, I thank you for thoughtfully and courageously telling your stories in ways that will be enlightening for those who have not had the experience, and bring comfort to those who have."
- Donna Fox, Director of Adult Programs and Suicide Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) MN
Rebecca and Laurie are available to speak to your group about using art and storytelling to heal from grief surrounding the suicide of a loved one. Please contact Rebecca for information about scheduling a presentation or ordering book sets in volume.
DONATE to your favorite non-profit so they can distribute our books for free.
“As a family therapist specializing in grief, I was most
impressed with the way this series captures the internal world of a particular
family grieving a suicide death.”
- Janice Winchester Nadeau, PhD, LP, RN,
Bereavement Specialist
