Book Review: How would you survive losing a child?

Exactly one year ago today, Wisconsin goat farmer Terri Stellrechtlearned from her husband that their twelve-year-old son, Trent, had been killed in a skiingaccident. Since then she has joined the millions of self-published authors (thisone with Westbow) who have a compelling narrative to share.

Her book, titled How My Savior Leads Me, introducesreaders to Trent through some of his childhood events before recounting how Terri and her family learned of the accident and the twelve months that followed. 

But the book is more than a narrative. It’s parttheological treatise, exploring such questions as, “Can God really be good inso-called accidents?” and “Does He really have a purpose for everything thathappens on this earth?” The title provides a tipoff about where the author lands onthe subject.

HowMy Savior Leads Me is also part journal, as Terri includesposts from her blog entered as she and herfamily have walked through their year of “firsts.”

Throughout, she writes with an in-your-face faithperspective. Don’t expect subtle. She asks straight up, “What if it had beenyou that died in that skiing accident? Where would you be?” before adding, “Doyou know this Savior of mine? His name is Jesus.”

The book,which I received from the author for review, shows some distracting signs typical of self-pubbedworks—like commas outside of quotation marks (correct in the UK, not inthe US) and addressing comments to a group (“those of you who know me…”) ratherthan to the individual reader. But anyone who has experienced grief due to asudden loss will identify with Terri's journey of grief and hope. And we all can benefit from the reminder that life on this earth is precious. And fleeting.