Title: The Journey of Two Souls
Author: Linda Darlene Marie Sharpe
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-6245-7022-4
Pages: 70
Genre: Family & Relationships /Parent & Adult Child
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Buy on Amazon
Pacific Book Review
With our aging population of “Baby-Boomers” ever increasing, The Journey of Two Souls by author Linda Darlene Marie Sharpe provides not only her memories of caring for her mother during the last years of her mom’s life, but insight on how best to deal with the inevitable stressful situations that most everybody will be faced with at some point.
This cross-genre book begins with an autobiographical recant of Sharpe’s life with her family. Growing up in a self-sufficient farming family, she writes about experiences of a myriad of situational stresses her parents lived through due to the depression, World War II, joblessness in her father’s career, relocations throughout the Western United States and Northwest, and countless recants of sibling interactions and incidents. As the book progresses, she changes from her personal story to a very substantial educational dissertation of the current medical definitions of Alzheimer’s disease vs. dementia; along with the root causes and medical treatments available. Then, in the final third of the book, Sharpe shifts into her personal accounts of dealing with her mother’s particular circumstances and how she was drawn into, by default to some degree, becoming the primary caregiver and soul mate to her mom. The profound effects these life events have had, unwillingly and rather involuntarily casted upon her, provides her theme for telling others about the loving and faith filled relationship. This caring relationship stemmed from dealing with the conditions faced by her mother’s diminished awareness during the last few years of her mom’s life.
Peppered with Bible prayers and poetry, Sharpe’s writing is very candid, revealing her core values of family, faith and love. The reader will instantly come to respect the author’s dedication to the mission bestowed upon her after the course of life’s events whittled down her many siblings to just her being left, as the only option to care for her mother. She presents many acute observations, such as in our culture the avoidance around the conversation concerning death is prevalent. Also how there is a reluctance and inability to provide a cure for those we care for, thus making the act of care seemingly lesser of an achievement than being able to cure. There is no cure for old age.
The powers of prayer and unyielding faith in God has proven to Linda Darlene Marie Sharpe that death is a normal part of life which should be embraced with strength and conviction regardless of the pain and suffering witnessed by physical disabilities and the frailty of the human mind. The Journey of Two Souls is an ideal comforting book for all those going through such circumstances in their lives. Her writing is referenced by scores of articles and websites contributing to her factual reveal of statistics and medical conditions, but the true message is about doing the honorable thing and keeping God present in your bond with your loved ones until the end. I was personally touched by Sharpe’s realizations of profound acceptance of the hardships in her mom’s life, which is at a mature understanding after transitioning through the pain, frustrations and disbelief of inevitable diminishing of health and tremendous suffering.
