Kristen Rademacher
Your body is away from me, but there is a window open from my heart to yours.
From this window, like the moon, I keep sending news secretly. —Rumi
From the Lake House
A Mother’s Odyssey of Loss and Love
Dizzy with grief after a shattering breakup, Kristen did what any sensible thirty-nine-year-old woman would do: she fled, abandoning her well-ordered life in metropolitan Boston and impulsively relocating to a college town in North Carolina to start anew with a freshly divorced southerner.
Dismissing the neon signs that flashed Rebound Relationship, Kristen was charmed by the host of contrasts with her new beau. He loved hunting and country music, she loved yoga and NPR; he worried about nothing, she worried about everything. The luster of her new romance and small-town lifestyle soon—and predictably—faded, but by then a pregnancy test stick had lit up. As Kristen’s belly grew, so did her concern about the bond with her partner—and so did a fierce love for her unborn child. Ready or not, she was about to become a mother. And then, tragedy struck.
Poignant and insightful, From the Lake House explores the echoes of rash decisions and ill-fated relationships, the barren and disorienting days an aching mother faces without her baby, and the mysterious healing that can take root while rebuilding a life gutted from loss.
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Reviews
A riveting, emotional, and candidly engaging read from first page to last, From the Lake House is an extraordinary story by an extraordinary woman.
—Midwest Book Review
Press
An Interview with James Miller of Lifeology
James Miller, licensed psychotherapist, is the executive producer and host of the nationally syndicated radio show Lifeology. I was delighted to...
A poignant and painful remembrance with comforting messages for the grieving.
—Kirkus Reviews
Kristen Rademacher’s achingly honest memoir about her losses of place, partner, and much-anticipated baby daughter Carly resonates with courage and an abiding gratitude for the preciousness of life. A truly tender reflection about loss that illuminates the devastating experience of baby loss.
—Janel Atlas, Writer and Editor, They Were Still Born: Personal Stories about Stillbirth
From the Lake House speaks to many women’s experiences and emotional low points. Rademacher is an honest narrator and occasional wisecracker who’s honest enough to occasionally sketch herself in an unflattering light. Often, she’s eloquent.
—Wilmington Star News
The author perfectly captures the decisions that some women make when experiencing heartbreak… This was a book that felt like fiction, but it was the author’s real life experience. I really enjoyed this one.
—Net Galley
In this beautifully written and poignant memoir, we learn that though people and dreams die, relationships don’t. If we’re attuned, the dead can transform our lives, offering enduring love and guidance—and hope.
—Carol Henderson, Author, Losing Malcolm: A Mother’s Journey Through Grief and Farther Along: The Writing Journey of Thirteen Bereaved Mothers
From the Lake House is phenomenal in its realness and the calmness with which it is told… This powerful and realistic memoir is a testament to how resilient a woman can be when she wants to survive and mend her heart.
—Readers Favorite (5 Star Review)
An absolutely powerful memoir about a mother’s love and the quiet pain of women… I felt deeply changed by reading it. I highly recommend this chronicle of heartache and inner strength.
—Teddy Rose, Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
Written with tender honesty and luscious language, From the Lake House is a joy to read, even amidst the pangs of heartache and loss.
—Alexis Marie Chute, Award-Winning Author of Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss
The book is a testimony to the strength of the human spirit and how one can come back from devastating loss… Kristen Rademacher has crafted an honest and compelling memoir… Others who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a child as well as failed love affair will witness a profound healing the way one woman achieved it.
—Net Galley
The author bares her precious scars, and in doing so, gives comfort and reassurance to anyone who has lost a child or, indeed, to anyone who has lost someone close, and that means all of us.
—Deborah Shepherd, author of So Happy Together
About Kristen
Kristen Rademacher has lived in Chapel Hill, NC since 2002, which is where she began writing. With a master’s degree in education and a certification as a life coach, her career in education spans 30 years. She taught at the elementary school level for thirteen years in New England, and then transitioned to working with college students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an Academic Coach and ADHD/LD Specialist. Kristen also has a private coaching practice for teens and adults with ADHD. She is well suited for her vocation as she truly loves helping people and is inspired by the trials and triumphs of their stories.
From the Lake House: A Mother’s Odyssey of Loss and Love is Kristen’s debut memoir that originated as a series of essays about grief. For nearly a decade, she worked with a women’s writing group where they critiqued and edited each other’s work. With the support of this group of talented and accomplished writers, Kristen’s initial essays morphed into a full memoir.
Kristen channels her creativity through writing, cooking and knitting. She also loves a long mountain hike, an afternoon lost in a juicy book or podcast, and the company of beloved family and friends.
Latest Blog Posts
My COVID Moods
Disclaimer: As far as the COVID pandemic goes, I am lucky. I've remained healthy, as have my loved ones. I'm able to work remotely from home, and I anticipate my job will be safe for a good while. As an introvert who shares a house with two cats, I don't mind being...
The Silence of Stillbirth
A birthing room for a stillborn baby is quiet. Eerily so. No howls heard from the baby freshly delivered from the deep, dark womb. No exclamations of joy, relief, and of a job well done. You lie in the hush and watch nurses care for your silent infant. You soon hear...
Writing Muse, We Need to Talk
I need to be honest, Writing Muse. When we're on the same wavelength, I love you to pieces. I open my laptop, and like magic, you know my exact needs and can read my mind. How glorious when we're united! I'm focused, my thoughts are clear, and my fingers dance atop...
Essays
The Unthinkable
My essay below was published in Glow in the Woods, a website dedicated to 'babylost mothers and fathers.' The Unthinkable describes my connection to my former (and now deceased) landlords from back when I lived outside of Boston. I've always believed that the deepest...
The Silence of Stillbirth
A birthing room for a stillborn baby is quiet. Eerily so. No howls heard from the baby freshly delivered from the deep, dark womb. No exclamations of joy, relief, and of a job well done. You lie in the hush and watch nurses care for your silent infant. You soon hear...