“Remember Me,” a memoir
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT a journey, a sometimes exciting, often humorous and periodically painful journey of seven and half years of my life following a very serious brain injury, when my life changed dramatically after a fall from my horse and subsequent craniotomy.
A look inside…
As we rounded a corner we saw a skunk moving in the road ahead of us. Now I know skunks only spray when they are afraid; and I know too that if they feel threatened, they are often gutsy enough to spray a vehicle.
I kept my distance to prevent her need to raise her tail and unload. She strutted cocky-like as if she owned the road, her tail flopping from side to side … in the manner of a precocious teenager swinging her ponytail as she jogs.
After going about a mile at five miles per hour, Jack and I both began to giggle. Soon the skunk veered off and let us pass. Little did I know that she would reappear several days later to teach me a valuable lesson.
What readers are saying
I do not typically read memoirs or autobiographies. Linda asked me to read a PDF copy of her book and give an overall impression. Right away I was impressed with the formatting, with the varying use of fonts in just the right locations, the placement of the images accompanied by the text material, and the way her writing seems to flow from topic to topic, like the way Steinbeck wrote Travels with Charlie, subtly changing direction sometimes within the same paragraph, more often within the same chapter. I found that when I had just finished a chapter, I was in such a trance I could not remember specifics. By the end of the book, it pleased me to know that I would want to read the actual book copy to further grasp her message, tying up all the loose ends. I cannot imagine life after a severe brain injury. She often described that when she scrambles, it is like realty is phase-shifting. Time becomes distorted. Sequences have no meaning. Under normal circumstances, she can only focus on one thing at a time. More than one focus is all it takes to begin the shift.
For anyone NOT heavy into metaphysics, this work is an eye-opener. Linda pulls no punches. As with anything about the paranormal or the “out of the ordinary,” it is and has always been “in the eyes [or mind] of the beholder.” Her claim that she can hear animals “auditorily” or psychically, must be taken at face value. As with those who claim to have seen a UFO, who can prove the claim false? Who can deny a person’s perceptions? Or senses?
It pleased me to note that Linda’s memoir has all the elements of good creative nonfiction: narration, exposition, description, dialogue, and character development. Even her animal companions are described both physically and in their mannerisms as personalities with whom to sympathize and identify.
Part One deals with her brain injury and its direct aftermath. Part Two deals with her attempt to explore fresh territory, by moving to a place no one knew her before or directly after the brain injury. The move probably saved her life and her sanity.
For those readers into multi-dimensional reading material such as Thoreau’s Walden, Edward Abby’s Desert Solitaire, Michener’s Caravans, or Steinbeck’s Travels with Charlie, I believe this work favorably compares.
Christopher St. John, Editor-in-Chief The Sky Soldiers | Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Remember Me is a window into the life of a woman, who, despite her many human obstacles after a serious brain injury, would continue her life journey with the aid of animals as guides. She relies heavily, too, on angels and her spirit helpers. The book flows from one episode to another, peaks and valleys, good times and bad. Remember Me truly reads like a novel accompanied by a very powerful ending. Taking this journey with Linda can be life-changing.”
-Debbie Ritch | Colorado Springs, CO
Twenty some odd years ago, extraordinary psychotherapist Linda Nations, against all odds, physically survived a serious traumatic brain injury. Luckily for us Linda journaled her process of healing — her utilization of various prescribed medical as well as psychological therapies and spiritual practices while living with the emotional, mental, and physical consequences of a craniotomy plus the memory of an abusive childhood, and later the ongoing challenges of a failing marriage.
During her journey, Linda listened to and followed the wise messages of her animal guides that coincidentally with serendipity appeared before her. I highly recommend this book to people who want to refine their understanding of and communication skills with animals. We humans have much to learn from the domesticated and the wild. The cost of this book may well save readers, engaging in just one of Linda’s recommended healing modalities, thousands of dollars in individual health processes that strive toward wholeness.
Linda’s words about her life journey read like a novel, where the heroine must negotiate unanticipated curves with frequent changes in direction. Throughout the sheer lightness of being with the heaviness of despair, animals became Linda’s greatest source of learning and healing.
-Kris Jeter, Ph.D. | Contributing Author, Pets in the Family: Marriage and Family Review, Pueblo, CO
There is no greater journey than the one that leads to self-discovery. This is the sentiment behind this book. It flows from every page as we find the author and biographer increasingly encaptured with her true self as she finds her way from utter darkness to enlightenment. Linda captures you with her innocence and vulnerability as she depicts her view of life from her one strong and successful position of wife, mother, counselor, caretaker, and friend. To one where she finds that true strength often comes from our greatest moments of weakness. As her animal comrades and spiritual senses guide her toward her greater understanding of the peace that comes with inner acceptance of self and surroundings, we are left with a beautiful story of growth and healing. Linda is a wise soul. Her story will leave you more in tune with your God, yourself, and your definition of love.
-Anjuli N. Williams, Nurse Practitioner | Springfield, MO
