Praise for
Refined by Fire
When we experience grief, what we long for most is the hand of someone who knows the depth of our pain. Refined by Fire is a friend's hand as you travel your journey of loss. It is the gentle, compassionate voice of someone who's walked in your shoes and who knows the rocks beneath your feet. Mary Kenyon brings practical experience clothed in gentle grace, unflinching truth, and unwavering hope. I recommend this book to pastors, therapists, and anyone who has lost a loved one.
—Shelly Beach, Award-winning author of 10 books, including Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Managing editor, Hope in the Mourning Bible (Zondervan 2013), Co-founder of PTSDPerspectives.org, Caring.com expert, ShellyBeachOnline.org/PTSDPerspectives.com
"Mary Kenyon's Refined by Fire reminds me of my grandmother, Madeleine L'Engle, who taught so many of us that writing can be a form of prayer that leads us to grace. I was moved to read how her influence inspired Mary to write and heal as well. Mary's writing style is extremely accessible, and her voice raw, authentic and brave. By the end I was crying with her. I would definitely recommend her book to anyone who is going through any type of loss."
—Léna Roy, granddaughter of Madeleine L’Engle, author of Edges, and seasoned writing instructor and Program Manager for Writopia Lab, a not-for-profit dedicated to empowering youth through creative writing.
"Not long into the writers' workshop I was teaching on a Midwestern college campus, a woman in the front row of desks began to weep. I didn't know why at the time. But I sensed I was witness to something holy happening in that room. The book you hold in your hands is a result of that holy moment when the God of heaven gave the author permission to write out of the midst of her pain to provide a holding-on place for others in theirs. Mary Potter Kenyon's breathtakingly real thoughts reveal that razor edge where despair dances with hope and the ugly becomes elegant. I'm already creating a list of those laid on my heart to receive the gift of the story of Mary's grief journey."
—Cynthia Ruchti, author of Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People's Choices