Your feedback? Reviews and comments mean the world to me.
Thank you for the lovely reviews here on the “Surviving Sue” page and on Amazon. I’m grateful for your feedback.
Synopsis

“Surviving Sue” is an eye-opening story about the fallout of keeping secrets, told from a daughter’s perspective as she navigated her mother’s mental health and addiction issues, while trying to shield and protect her disabled sister. “Surviving Sue” is about the power of storytelling to build resiliency, a guidebook for others who struggle with complex family issues.
Praise for “Surviving Sue”
…”a heart-breaking, yet somehow optimistic personal account…”
From the moment Vicki introduces us to Sue, we are captivated. Fascinated not only with Sue’s character, but how her turbulent persona ironically affects Vicki, Lisa and the others who are nearest and dearest to her. At the same time, we are mesmerized by Vicki’s strength and resilience, her dedication, and the multitude of emotions she expresses as she takes us through this heart-breaking, yet somehow optimistic personal account. This narrative is so engagingly well written and can teach us so many lessons about family – kudos to Vicki for sharing it with us.
–Bruce Bohrer, author of “Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher” and former higher education colleague
…”a rollercoaster of laughter, love, wounding and redemption…”
The combination of humor and heartbreak in “Surviving Sue” unlocks a special chamber for reflection. Dr. Vicki Atkinson offers so many wonderful insights about what life with a complicated character like Sue brings and it’s a rollercoaster of laughter, love, wounding, and redemption. This book is a meaningful journey through the bonds of family, loving difficult people, and how we can heal intergenerationally in order to raise healthy families.
–Wynne Leon, entrepreneur and author of “Finding My Father’s Faith”
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Angels On My Path
One of the recurrent themes in the story of my mom’s life is the presence of empathy warriors – beautiful humans who stepped out of their comfort zones to provide support, despite the potential of triggering Sue’s wrath. In “Surviving Sue” I pay homage to the individuals who made a difference by extending loving kindnesses
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Dads & Daughters
I love the interest readers have about my dad’s story. It’s one of the themes in my book, the ‘special survival bonds between dads and daughters’ and this week I’m sharing more about my dad. As Sue’s spouse, my dad had his hands full. Mix in a successful career and complexities with his own extended
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Humor 😊
Both of my parents possessed a wicked sense of humor. Thank goodness for that. However, the close alignment between comedy and tragedy was never lost on me. Mom’s humor was often a harbinger of chaos to come. Laugh? Cry? Sometimes I didn’t know which to do first and I wasn’t alone. When my dad was
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Elder Care
Thank you so much for the feedback and input about the themes in my book, “Surviving Sue”. I promised I’d provide a peek, once a week, into the book, one tidbit at a time. This week? I’ve got elder care on my mind. (New! Feel like listening instead? Check out the latest Heart of the
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Parents are People, Too
Thank you so much for the feedback and input about the themes in my book, “Surviving Sue” . I promised I’d provide a peek, once a week, into the book, one tidbit at a time. This week? I’ve got birthdays on my mind and for a good reason. I’ll explain. When I met my husband,
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“Surviving Sue”: Peek Inside
What a fun whirlwind the past few days have been. Thank you to all of you who’ve expressed an interest in my book. I promise I won’t post about it all the time, but based on feedback from a few fabulous followers, I’ve decided I’ll blog about the book once a week under the title
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“Surviving Sue” Has Launched
How did I end up here? My mom’s life was remarkable in its complexity but nothing about that fact makes her story noteworthy, nor does it explain my compulsion to write about her life. Most families carry pain and unfinished business but the nuances and shades…the ways in which we navigate varies so dramatically. I’ve


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