Hello and thank you for coming to my website.I'm Tracey Hunter and my book The Light Shining in Our Hearts is out now.This picture book is perfect for families to share with children and offers grown-ups an opportunity to discuss death and dying in a gentle way.You can read more about it here, and you can order a signed copy directly from this site.
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The Book
Find out more about The Light Shining in Our Hearts
About Tracey
Read about Tracey and why she wrote the book
Services
How Tracey can help you with workshops and other services
About the Book
“We can’t always see or feel her, but she’s there.She is the light shining in our hearts forever.”The Light Shining in Our Hearts gently depicts the presence of a deceased child in a family’s life, encouraging children to remember and honour the loss of a child during the grieving process, and replacing the negative thoughts and feelings associated with death and grief with a beautiful hope and a focus on magical remembrance.Perfect for families to share with children, this picture book offers grown-ups a heartwarming and simple way to discuss and support children through death and grief, helping children understand that death is a natural part of the life cycle and that grief is a normal emotion to experience.
You can order your copy for £10 + UK P&P right now using the button below.
Sample pages
Kind Words
The Light Shining in Our Hearts is a book of beauty, pain, grief and solace. The story of precious Cora is exquisitely told; her radiance and all the simple life pleasures that she enjoyed in her short life are vividly conveyed; the park, the birds, the family dog. Most notable is the effect she had on others; those who loved her and who felt her loss as a visceral anguish. The tears of her parents, the dragging of time in deep grief, the loss of a sense of her spirit while the pain overtook the memories. The author talks of arriving at a 'magical remembrance' when raw grief gives way to beautiful hope.Cora is all around the family; she's in the purple crocus and the glistening sea. The focus on remembering and celebrating a life is strong and inspiring. Tracey has done a wonderful job of evoking one of life's harshest experiences. Life goes on but in a different way. I found this book moving and delightful in its purity. As a mother, I shed tears for the loss of Cora, but I felt the magical remembrance very profoundly. The value of her existence rings out from the pages.
– Janey Jones, authorI thought the story was sad when she died and I felt sad for you Tracey. I liked it when you were in the park with Dougal and when the balloon went up to Cora. I think it was a gift of love from her friend and that’s nice.
– James, aged 7For families with young children who face a loss, her book reads well as a gentle story to remind us that there is still love for lost ones. We don’t forget hope and joy living with the ones who are with us. In her darkness, Tracey found the light shining in her heart again.
– Wanida McEwan
Wow! What a beautifully written piece of work which captures the feelings of loss, love and life for all ages. The wonderful illustrations really add something special to this very personal and poignant story. Grief is not an easy subject to talk about, especially with children. I can see how this book could really help families and professionals to support children in understanding and talking about grief and loss.
– Karen Simpson, TutorI honestly can’t even begin to imagine what it feels like to lose a child. The book is so moving but also so hopeful that even when you know life won’t be the same, it does go on and there can be love and joy again. A really important message at any stage in the journey of loss.
– KSI love your book. I thought it was a nice story but also very sad at times, especially when Cora died. I liked when you spoke about always in having her in you heart as that made me feel happy.
– Amy, aged 10I have been fortunate to have Tracey as my dear friend and mentor for almost 20 years. The teachings and reflections she shared with me when we met have shaped my career. The Light Shining in Our Hearts is the culmination of a lifetime for compassion, understanding and insight from this wonderfully warm, authentic woman. Tracey understands people and our inherent frailties and strength. This book is Tracey; her raw emotion, her professional and personal experience and understanding and her passion for learning, growth, recovery and remembrance. It’s a delight to see Cora’s book come to life in print and pictures.
– Derrick Pearce, Head of Community Health & Social Care Services
Tracey has written a beautiful book. Succinct words and graphics in harmony in careful balance reflecting poignancy merging with love, care and compassion. It guides us all through the dark passages of loss.
Reading it over and over again more provides comfort and guidance.
– Pat McGrann, retired GPThis book works at many levels and is relevant for adults and children of all ages. The author takes you on a journey through Cora’s short life with both simplicity and depth. The family, her friends and her precious pet all bring joy to the normality of everyday life. We smile through all this and then our hearts are broken at the devastation and loss to all who love her. Beautiful illustrations throughout draw you in as you become encapsulated within the tale. Then our hearts begin to lift again as we feel the peace knowing she is always there beside us- in our hearts.I will definitely use this book with the students I work with, currently training to be teachers. It will be a real asset in our work in literacy and personal and social development in helping them to discuss issues around loss and dying.
I’m sure also that the students will then subsequently use it with the parents and children in the communities they serve.
– Leanne Stewart, Literacy TutorWhen I read this book, memories of so many children that had passed came to mind. Sadly, as a Head Teacher working in a special school many young children died, their families plunging into grief. A grief that hit home when I lost my own daughter. At such vulnerable times a book like this gives a direction for moving forward that means no child’s life is forgotten. Thanks Tracey.
– Maggie Pollard
Order Received
Thank you for your order!You should now receive an email confirmation.Your signed copy will be posted shortly.If you have any queries then please contact me.
About Tracey Hunter
Tracey Hunter trained as a social worker in 1981. In a career spanning over forty years, she has worked with children, young adults and older people in Glasgow, the Scottish Borders, Bradford and the Southern Hebrides.In 1987, her first daughter Cora died in a tragic accident when she was fourteen months old. Since then, a large part of her life’s work has been to encourage discussions about death, loss and separation, and to help people find meaning in their lives — even in the depths of grief.She supported bereaved parents in Glasgow in the 1990s as a member of the peer support group The Compassionate Friends. Through this work, she realised we are never alone in our grief, and made it her mission to support others to find a path through the darkness.The Light Shining in Our Hearts was first written for Cora’s two siblings in 1991.She moved to Islay in 2008, where she enjoys long walks, combing the beach and exploring the island’s natural beauty. She is a keen baker and cook, and loves to share food with family and friends.
Services
The Light Shining in Our Hearts is primarily a book for children and young people to explore with adults their thoughts and deepen discussions around the themes of death and dying. However, I believe it also provides an opportunity for parents, carers and other adults working with children to explore their own feelings on the wider themes of grief, loss and trauma and how they can best support children and young people in future.Everyone experiences change and loss every day of their lives. It is how we deal with it that determines our ability to move forwards positively and mitigate the effects of trauma. Through my years of professional work, I have provided support across these key themes to many children, young people (e.g. ‘Looked After Children’), adults (e.g. unpaid carers), the professionals who support them and a wide variety of different groups and organisations.I can therefore provide a range of services including:
Bespoke training in grief, loss and trauma
Workshops for professionals in education, health and social work
Workshops for parents and unpaid carers
Talks at events or conferences
For further information and discussion please get in touch using the Contact form or by email at traceyislay@gmail.com.
Contact
To be kept up to date with publication news, sign up to email updates using the box on the homepageFor anything else, send me a message using the form below.
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