And She Was Never the Same Again: A Multigenerational Memoir by Natasha Pryde Trujillo Ph.D.

"For anyone who enjoys reading psychologically engaging books about grief and family dynamics, this is a must-read. It covers a range of complex and emotional themes, including the effects of grief on family relationships, the loss of identity, how different genders mourn, and the struggles of forgiveness and healing." - Doreen C, Readers' Favorite Reviewer

Synopsis -

And She Was Never the Same Again is about you. It is about your family and your friends, everyone you've ever met, and all the strangers you have yet to meet.

It takes you on a journey of gains and losses that stretch generations, cultures, identities, and decades of time. It awakens you to the inevitable and makes you look at things most people want to avoid seeing. It explores near-death experiences; medical, individual, and intergenerational trauma; the stigmatized death of a partner; perfectionism; athletics; first loves; and the gaping holes that become permanent fixtures within us when those we love the most die.

​You will feel, you will learn, you will grown, and you will never be the same again.

Review - 

I love personal stories of struggle and triumph told clearly and truthfully.  And She Was Never the Same Again offers that but with a twist.  Author Pryde shares not only her personal journey from childhood forward, but that of her multigenerational family. Kudos to her family for openly sharing about their lives. It couldn't have been easy as they had to share not only what was strong, but what was not. 

In this book each chapter for the most part looks at the life of one family member and how family tradition, losses and responsibilities affected their lives.  The author honors the strength of her relatives and the strong tie that binds them together, as well the tragedies that had long lasting effects.  She does the same for herself, especially looking at her journey with perfectionism - exploring both the positives and negatives that arose - and how hearing she had "potential" affected her.   

Lastly she looks at the secrecy and tradition of burying the unpleasant that influenced all generations of her family.  She asks what if we had been able to talk openly, ask for help, share our worries, and be fully present with no filters?  I think the biggest take away is the truth of how events can have a huge influence throughout a family's dynamics, not just in the present, but through the generations. 

Following her journey through this minefield opened me up to how I might look at my family's history and see what old scenarios were playing out behind the scenes as we dealt with grief, control, misunderstandings, forgiveness, healing and more.

Buy the book:  Amazon ~ add to goodreads

Meet the Author -

Fab author interview HERE!

Dr. Trujillo is a counseling and sport psychologist, consultant, educator, author, and human. Labels don’t make her better or worse-equipped to deal with inevitable grief throughout life. She’s passionate about the power of storytelling and wanted to illustrate nuanced ways we cope with grief. Like you, she’s had losses and decided risking vulnerability may encourage others to redefine relationships with loss to live more holistic and intentional lives. She hopes this limited collection of stories can build the realization that there’s no “right” way to grieve.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

AND SHE WAS NEVER THE SAME AGAIN by Natasha Pryde Trujillo Book Tour Giveaway