Friendship’s Death

National Book Award Finalist: “Wickersham has journeyed into the dark underworld inside her father and herself and emerged with a powerful, gripping story.” —The Boston Globe

A mother’s search for the son she gave up uncovers terrifying secrets in a Minnesota town in this “masterfully depicted true-crime tale” (Publishers Weekly).

How does a parent cope after the death of a child? Each essay in Always With Me: Parents Talk about the Death of a Child reveals the experiences of parents who have lived through the devastation and upheaval of their child s death. Parents describe the maelstrom they face in their inner landscapes, coping strategies, and realigned place in the world.

What would you do if a stranger told you your son was going to die?

"Jon, my husband, took his own life at the age of 35. He left for work at 7.30, as usual. He kissed me, and our two children, as usual. He told me he loved me, which was not usual, but that didn't occur to me until later."

In March 2015, Naja Marie Aidt's twenty-five-year-old son, Carl, died in a tragic accident. When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back chronicles the few first years after that devastating phone call. It is at once a sober account of life after losing a child and an exploration of the language of poetry, loss, and love.