Edna's Gift by Susan Rudnick

Edna's Gift: How My Broken Sister Taught Me To Be Whole

Susan Rudnick

She Writes Press

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

208 Pages

Susan's Rudnick's debut autobiography was filled with heartache, inspiration, and love between two sisters who fight through individual disabilities that in this book becomes a strength for the author, "Susie" as her sister Edna called her.

Even though we never really know what Edna's disability is, we know that Edna is filled with a heart bigger than most in the world. Her understanding of others and her ability to communicate through limited words does not stop her communication through her service and actions. Edna is a beautiful soul.

A reader will appreciate the openness of Susan's story which felt more like a journal of personal struggle, success and doubt filled years of who she is and how she is seen. It is always reaffirming to the reader to know that other people struggle daily just like they do. People who we see as having it all put together like I do in Susan Rudnick. This book helps you appreciate other's lives, other's struggles, and other's success in finally realizing that what helps us become whole is the love, interaction, and service between people.

Susan's struggle with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome, "a congenital disorder of the female reproductive system. Girls with MRKH have normal ovaries and fallopian tubes, an absent or incomplete vagina, no cervix and either an underdeveloped uterus (uterine remnant) or no uterus at all."  is the most heartbreaking of all when she finds out she will never be able to give birth to her own child. Susan is haunted for decades of not realizing her dream of motherhood. However, she is finally able to overcome her self doubt, and fulfill her dream through adoption and finally finding the right man to have a child with- her daughter, Rebecca.

The ending is horrific, heartbreaking and just well, sad. I am in awe of the lessons that Susan learns from Edna's death and the perspective she gives her readers on each second of her heartache. Susan Rudnick, in my opinion, is one strong woman.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars for inspiration and forthrightness.

Thanks to She Writes Press for the opportunity to read this autobiography in lieu of my honest review.