These Dreams of You - by Ann McCloskey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

These Dreams of You: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience tells the story of a mother's love for and commitment to her gifted daughter, who developed anorexia at age ten and subsequently died young. The narrative offers an unvarnished account of the fifteen years the author strove to save her daughter from her perfectionistic goal of being the thinnest person alive. It then follows the author's intentional yet heart wrenching shift from trying to get her daughter to overcome her eating disorder to supporting her as she lived out her short life in the way she chose. Interspersed throughout the narrative are several lyrical letters written by a mother to her beloved daughter since her death. This story conveys hope and resilience, as the author has prevailed through her grief with no regrets about her parenting of her challenging daughter.

Review Quotes

"These Dreams of You offers an unvarnished account of the fifteen years the author strove to save her daughter from her perfectionistic goal of being the thinnest person alive. It then follows the author's intentional yet heart-wrenching shift from trying to get her daughter to overcome her eating disorder to supporting her as she lived out her short life." --Mom Egg Review

"It is a story of grief and grace and a love so profound it breaks open any heart willing to bear witness to these pages."--Pam Bernard, author of the verse novel, Esther, and three collections of poetry

"Such a compelling story, full of sorrow and truth. Ann McCloskey had to write this book, no question. For all the rest of us, it's a book we have to read."--Peter Gould, author of Write Naked and Horse-Drawn Yogurt

"These Dreams of You is a courageous, tender encounter with 'life on life's terms.'...this writing retrieves Colleen: celebrating her beauty beyond their torment."--Verandah Porch, author of Sudden Eden

"These Dreams of You is Ann McCloskey's harrowing, unflinching story of her family caught in the clutches of anorexia and the devastating, inevitable ending of that story for her daughter Colleen and for each of them." --Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle and Comfort: A Journey Through Grief

About the Author

Ann McCloskey earned a B.A. degree in Social Work and an M.A degree in Counseling Psychology. She spent two decades training clinical mental health counselors in a graduate program at Antioch University, while also working as a licensed clinical mental health counselor. She subsequently spent fourteen years teaching psychology at a small college serving students with learning differences. With her husband, Joe Meyer, Ann raised two daughters in rural Vermont. This is her first book.