I just finished a novel with an in-depth and moving commentary about loss. Stay With Me, written by Nigerian author Ayobami Adebayo, tells the story of a couple who face infertility, and then, later, the death of two children. The book does a great job in describing a mother’s hesitancy to bond with her third […]

As I have mentioned before, I keep encountering references  to replacement dynamics everywhere. This seems to be a testament to how common they are, despite the fact that we rarely discuss them. I am reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom. I was sorry to learn that he and his first wife, Evelyn,  lost a […]

Lately in my reading of fiction I keep stumbling across examples of replacement dynamics! Fascinating. I think that loss is so painful for us that the urge to replace and fill the void is quite common. I just finished This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. In the backstory of the book, a young […]

I just finished a novel which has an interesting twist on the concept of a replacement child: LaRose, by Louise Erdrick. I’ll try not to give away any major spoilers… it is a great read! The story centers upon two Native American families and a tragedy which unfolds. While out hunting a man accidentally kills […]