StoryWraps: The Shared Room

Blog review of The Shared Room by Kao Kalia Yang

A family gradually moves forward after the loss of a child—a story for readers of all ages

This gentle tender book is heartbreaking but also comforting to the reader.  It tells the story of the loss of a little girl and how it affected the entire family. The story is about a Hmong American family who deals with their grief, unending sadness and painful restoration after the drowning of their little girl in the local swimming lake.  She walked into the water, headed in deeper and deeper never to return. Heartbroken the family tries to come to terms with their loss.  The little girl's room remains empty, her clothes still their drawers, and everything untouched just as she has left it.  A quietness enters the house... a hush like winter settles in their home. All family members try to come to terms, both in their minds and hearts, about the unspeakable tragedy. "The Shared Room" will pull at your heart strings as you observe a family coping with deep sadness and emptiness attempting to move forward and put the fractured pieces of their lives slowly back together.  It is a powerful book of hope.  I highly recommend it.  

 

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