REPLACEMENT CHILD

Judy L. Mandel

A Memoir

All content © Judy L. Mandel 2008 - 2012

Author Judy Mandel Comes To B&N

She will discuss her memoir "Replacement Child."

Dealing with the daily struggles of grief and unanswered questions, Judy’s memoir "Replacement Child"

focuses on the subconscious responsibility to keep her sister’s memory alive, and the overwhelming message of

how combining hope and forgiveness can lead to a story of recovery.

Judy Mandel brings her captivating memoir to Barnes and Nobles (http://springfield.patch.com/listings /barnes-noble-booksellers-5) in Springfield this Saturday, Nov. 7 from 2-4 pm.

As Judy’s journey takes off at top speed with a book tour and press coverage, she has found that people in the

same situation have been opening up and speaking out. I asked her to pass along advice for people dealing with

a similar story.

“Although I didn't acknowledge it growing up, I now believe that I had a form of survivor's guilt, and also a

sense of being outside of my family looking in," she said. "They had a shared past that I did not—and even though I was looked at as the lucky one in the family, I could never fully feel part of their journey together. My best advice for families that may find themselves in any similar situation following a tragedy or traumatic event in their lives is to talk openly with each other about it. I think that would have been a tremendous help in my case. Also, just understanding that these feelings may exist gives a path to healing.”

“Replacement Child” effectively displays Judy’s deep and emotional struggle to tell the truth of her story; a beautifully project story of courage and preservation four years in the making.

Mandel will be at the Barnes and Noble on Route 22 tomorrow from 2 to 4 pm. You can visit Mandel's site (http://www.replacementchild.com) for more information and excerpts.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

240 Us Highway 22

© The Springfield Patch 2009

By MARNIE FISH, for The Springfield Patch