Q & A with Amanda Lynn
Wednesday, September 21, 6:30 PM
St. Charles Public Library
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month. To shine a spotlight on the issue, the St. Charles Public Library will host a Q & A session with local author Amanda Lynn on Wednesday, September 21, at 6:30 PM. Lynn’s recently published memoir, “Shattered Reality,” details her sister’s suicide and its aftermath. People will be able to meet Lynn, purchase the book, ask questions, and join the ongoing conversation on suicide and mental health.
On November 14th, 2007, Amanda Lynn received a call from her mother that she refers to as the 9/11 of her world. Her 19-year-old sister, Josie, took her life by suicide. From that moment forward, everything about her life drastically changed. When a tragedy such as this happens, there is often this internal split—the “before you” and the “after you.”
“Shattered Reality” is about the last decision Josie made on this earth and the impact that decision had on Lynn’s life moving forward. It encapsulates entries from Josie’s journal to better understand what she was struggling with—which, oftentimes, was a completely normal part of adolescence. Her words describe thoughts and feelings that a majority of society can relate to, and yet the voice in her head told her something different.
This powerful memoir is about the transformative process of grief and loss. It is about the ‘chapters’ of Amanda’s life and how they’ve unfolded through the years. It is about healing and picking up the pieces of a shattered reality that no longer exists.