Title: Letters Written In White
Author: Kathryn Perez
Genre: Magical Realism
Book Blitz: November 30 - December 2
Release Date: November 30, 2015
Hosted by: S.B.B. Promotions
I’m dead.
I’m cold and alone and I’m dead. There’s no air in my lungs. My chest is as cold and hollow as a cave on a snow-capped mountain side. My heart no longer beats there. Frigid winds whistle through my ribs and the sadness inside me weeps like my favorite tree.
Days ago, I met with death face to face. The mirror, our meeting place. My two darkened green eyes stared deeply into hers. I tilted my head to the side. She did too.
“It’s time,” I whispered.
“It’s time,” she whispered.
And with that I turned away from her, the woman in the mirror who knew all of my secrets and all of my pain. I walked away from her and yet we’d never been closer than we were in that moment. The inner struggle was over. No more arguing with the woman in the mirror. No more arguing with myself. The choice was made. She was the victor. Or was I?
That was the day Riah Winter died.
Some books you read change you, they move you, they’re powerful and all consuming. This was one of those books for me. I stayed up all night reading it. I read it from cover to cover not stopping once, tears were running down my face most of the time but I couldn't stop. Any one who has suffered from depression or had someone they love suffer from depression can relate to Riah and her story. It’s not an easy story to read, in fact, it was incredibly difficult for me to read, but it’s worth it.
Riah is severely depressed. So depressed that living doesn’t seem like an option for her anymore. She can’t pull it together. Not for her kids, not for her husband, and not for herself. Her marriage that used to be so full of love and desire has dwindled away since the depression came in full force. Her husband, Grayson, loves her- but he doesn’t understand her. No one understands how Riah feels. More often than not, Riah doesn’t understand how she feels.
There’s so much loss between us it’s almost as if we’ve built a graveyard with all the pieces of what was once our marriage. So much is gone and buried.
The true murderer of our love was life. We stopped living in our love and started dying in the mundane aspects of every day life.
I wasn’t sure I would, but I connected so strongly to parts of Riah. I don’t want to talk too much about her story or her journey, because I want you to experience it yourself. Think about it. It will make you think about your life, about your choices, about the struggles you have and others have.
“Regret is a painful thing. Few people understand that there are three important things that leave us and can never return. Words. Time. Opportunity. These are things we can never get back.”
This story is stunning, emotional, and heartbreaking. It devastated me. It’s one of those books that makes you think and feel. Kathryn’s writing is beautiful, it’s poetic and it’s brave. This story is epic. Putting a story like this out there couldn’t have been easy, but I’m so glad Perez decided to do it. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read. If you’re looking to read an unconventional story that’s heart wrenching, real and exceptional, this is one I very highly recommend.
Kathryn lives in her small East Texas hometown with her family. She 's a music infused writer and self-proclaimed book junkie. When she isn't listening to music, writing or reading you'll probably find her watching her favorite sport, UFC.
Kathryn is also an anti-bullying advocate and avid supporter of mental-illness and suicide awareness.
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Great review!
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