"I found my father hanging from a rope in our bathroom, in 1948, when I was four years old. In 1950 my mother committed me to a psychiatric institution and three years later an ambulance took me out of the institution bringing me to a hospital.

For fifty-one years I kept these secrets from everyone, including my adult daughters. Now I am finally able to write about my childhood by detailing how my father’s suicide, and my mother’s denial that I found his body, has affected my life, personality and relationships. In this very personal and revealing autobiography, I hope I will help parents, professional, and other survivors of suicide who may be coping with shame, secrets, insecurities, and fears."
The author, Judy Raphael Kletter

Some comments received are:

"I greatly value such direct personal accounts, and yours is surely among the richest, most detailed, and three-generational of the small number existing."

"What a story!! Your book would help so many people."

"Your experience was beyond horrendous"

"Valuable information for patients considering suicide"

"I found it moving and very unusual…have not seen such a child who was then put into a psych. unit."

"You are a brave person to write your book. Your writing is stark and pointed-you don’t mince any words. You don’t spare your own feelings, and that’s why people who have gone through a similar experience should find your book extremely helpful."