JENNIFER: LIFE PRECIOUS TO GOD PB

When Karen and Gordon are asked how many children they have, they tell people two – it’s just easier that way. But the truth is that there will always be three…

Their first child, Jennifer Grace, was discovered to have multiple abnormalities before birth. Faced with the invidious choice of termination or continuing the pregnancy, they chose the latter, and a beautiful baby girl was born to them, only to die hours later.

Sharing the struggles and doubts they have faced, Jennifer’s parents show how loved she was and how her short life was used to bless many lives. Blending recent reflections with contemporary journal entries and letters, this is a rich testimony to God’s goodness and intimate involvement in our lives. It is evidence that even when tragedy strikes, every life is precious to Him.

'To write about bereavement, especially a newborn, requires a very delicate touch. Those drawn to read are often either hurting themselves or know someone going through a similar trauma. Above all they want such writing to have a ring of truth to it that allows them to connect. I found myself drawn into the raw narrative, nodding my head in agreement. To make that link requires both honesty and vulnerability. Yet, alongside that, Karen brings her professional skills as a doctor and psychiatrist, and is able to helpfully self-reflect.'

'In Jennifer’s story there is no toning down the contrasting emotions, the contradictory thoughts or the imagined and feared scenarios. The faith that lifts the book is not a superhero faith but a learned experience of faith found through pain, not through an avoidance of reality. Supported by family, friends and her local congregation, Karen and Gordon are able to walk together through a year that changed their lives and the lives of those around them, and they invite us to join them on that journey.'

- The Very Reverend Colin Sinclair, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Karen Palmer is one the network of ‘local authors’ we are delighted to support. She lives locally to The GLO Bookshop and has been a regular customer over the years and has also acted as a GLO Bookshop Book Agent in her church. It was great to hear that Karen was publishing her first book- these projects take many years to come to fulfilment, so congratulations on all your hard work! We are sure that telling the tale of ‘Jennifer: A Life Precious to God’ will speak hope, comfort and a measure of meaning to many others who have experienced the same joy and sadness. We look forward to working with Karen and her publisher, Instant Apostle, to promote her book.

Product details:
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Instant Apostle (17 July 2020)
ISBN-13: 9781912726271