Calling All Librarians: Why “A Widow’s Awakening” Needs to be in Your Library
“My heart is beating harder and my breathing shorter. I am hugging my husband tighter and kissing him longer. I have burnt supper while reading A Widow’s Awakening. I have read books until wee hours of the night but I have not felt this much about a book before. You are an incredibly gifted writer…I feel like I am right beside you and that I am getting to know your husband and your relationship together. I love how he loved you. I love your writing style, how brilliantly you tie everything together and how you authentically share your soul.”
– Kim Williamson, Cochrane, Alberta
A Widow’s Awakening is touching the heart & soul of readers
After Constable John Petropoulos fell to his death in 2000 while investigating a break and enter complaint, his widow, Maryanne Pope, fell into a free-fall of her own into the depths of grief. Her debut novel, A Widow’s Awakening (BHC Press, 2018) captures her candid journey of learning to accept the unacceptable while transforming loss into positive change.
Engaging, heartbreaking, humorous and brutally honest, this story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and an important addition to any library collection.
Order the e-book through OverDrive until Jan 31st, 2019
Until Jan 31st, the e-book can be ordered through Rakuten OverDrive as part of their Holiday Spectacular Sale.
What readers are saying…
“Based on a true story, A Widow’s Awakening, is a hauntingly beautiful story of enduring love, overwhelming heartache and discovering resiliency. With descriptions that are heartfelt, painful and often humorous, author Maryanne Pope artfully paints a picture of what it is like to have your entire world pulled out from under you.”
– Sharon Ehlers, Grief Reiki
“A Widow’s Awakening expresses the gripping pain of losing someone you love, tragically and unexpectedly. Yes, it’s a novel….but the candid truth of this widow’s suffering is real. It’s Maryanne’s personal story, but it’s more than her story. It’s for anyone who has suffered a tragic loss…she captures the essence of a grieving soul. In a strange way you may feel relief because you’ve had some of those same feelings as she did that others often judge. You realize you are not alone.”
– Robin Chodak, Grief Coach
“I started reading A Widow’s Awakening on Sunday and finished it Monday. The first third of your book touched me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I cried so hard, my eyes became swollen; the pain was so real. I haven’t cried that hard in a long, long time. The grief you expressed was so real to me, as I experienced my own grief in a similar way. Reading your book has been healing for me.”
– Cristy Hayden, Calgary, Alberta
“I’ve read a lot of books this past year on grief. A Widow’s Awakening was the closest description of my thoughts and feelings. I almost found myself cheering in some places. Finally…someone understands.”
– Karen Adkins
“This fictionalized account of Maryanne’s story is by turns raw and gangly and then elegant and profound. She leaves her ego at the door and just lays it out bare—she is not precious with herself and gives the reader the whole spectrum of her response, from grandiose delusions to suicidal despair. The rollercoaster ride of early grief is accounted for with complete candor; her unflinching approach makes for a compelling, although sometimes uncomfortable, tale.”
– Kara Post-Kennedy
“A Widow’s Awakening provides a vivid, heartbreaking reality of the consequences of an unsafe workplace and the personal costs of a workplace fatality. It brings home the message that we must ensure our workplaces are safe, not only for the workers, managers and public on a daily basis but also the Emergency First Responders who may be called there to help. One life lost is one too many.”
– Laura Synyard
“I just finished “A Widow’s Awakening.” I laughed, I cried, I laughed when I was crying. Reading your touching work has realigned my thinking in a way that Tony Robbins’ “Awaken the Giant Within” and Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and Deepak Chopra’s “The Book of Secrets” all have. You’ve shone a light on many of the same issues I have been wrestling with in terms of writing and making a difference. Thank you!”
– Tim Reynolds, Calgary, Alberta
“Your book, A Widow’s Awakening, arrived Friday afternoon and I spent all of Friday evening reading it. It has been a very long time since I have done that, reading a book cover to cover, crying most of the time. You told your story so well and with such passion that I felt that I was in the room with you…I realize now that I have a great deal of hurt that I haven’t dealt with over the years and how it is my responsibility, like you, to find my true mission/purpose in life.”
– Kathleen Specht
“I am choosing A Widow’s Awakening as our first book club choice. I chose it because it had a deep impact on me. It deals with grief but it also forces us to face many difficult questions, such as the dilemma of mourning someone close to us, while at the same time becoming financially secure as the result of that loss…this is a powerful story that challenges many of our assumptions about grief.”
– Nina Steele, Nonparents.com
Niche Markets & Further Details
There are several key niche markets suitable for A Widow’s Awakening:
#1) Grief, loss, death, dying, widows & widowers
#2) Workplace safety
#3) Police, emergency responders
#4) Self-help, inspirational, empowerment, general reader
#5) Spirituality, Christianity, Feminism
#6) Romance
#7) Memoir
For further information about A Widow’s Awakening, please visit Maryanne’s website, Pink Gazelle Productions Inc and/or BHC Press.
All proceeds go to John Petropoulos Memorial Fund
100% of the proceeds from the first 1000 books sold go to the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund (JPMF), a charity set up in memory of the author’s husband. The JPMF raises public awareness about why and how to ensure workplaces are safe for everyone, including emergency responders.
