This Love is Forever- Book Review

“I’ m made from the best of my Dad and my Mom.

And I know that their love for me always goes on.

 Moms and Dads don’t always stay together.

 But Parents and Children love each other forever.”

Source: Amazon

These are the closing sentences of an amazing book called ‘This Love is Forever’ which I just finished reading recently. I was simply spellbound by the simplicity of this book and the deepest truths about marriage and parenthood that it conveyed so effortlessly in a child’s language.

 The author of ‘This Love is Forever’ is Mavis Prall Cohen, who is a Single Mother and a divorcee.  And the creator of the beautiful illustrations that you see throughout this book is Lizzie Prall, the daughter of the Author.

 The seeds of ‘This Love is Forever’ was planted in Mavis’ mind when, then a three year old Lizzie started asking her Mommy a question: “Why are we divorced?” Mavis, being a daughter of divorce herself, knew only too well the doubts, questions and insecurities seeping through young Lizzie’s mind and made a supreme decision of  creating and writing beautiful messages for her daughter to read whenever she wanted. Mavis also figured that by writing down her thoughts and messages for her daughter, she in effect is helping herself to set her eyes on the positive aspects of life more than the turmoil of it all she faces at times. More importantly, ‘the messages’ as she call her work, helped Mavis to be the best Parent she can possibly be and make a wonderful future for her child.

 In ‘This Love is Forever’, you will witness a beautiful heart of a child through the words that you read and the illustrations that you see. The illustrator being Lizzie herself who is now thirteen, we, as readers get a closer glimpse into her mind which is colorful and stunningly innocent.

Source: ThisLoveisForever.net

We read in the opening sentences:

“Some kids have moms and dads who live together.

Some kids’ parents stay married forever.

 But sometimes grown-ups feel that

A marriage is through.

So instead of just one house, my family has two. “

We see the little girl coming into terms with the reality of her life by trying to figure out the reasons why she has two houses and why her Mommy and Daddy are living apart. She goes on saying that divorce had nothing to do with her and it doesn’t mean that her parents don’t love her anymore. It’s just that now they are more like friends and that their love for each other has changed. This little girl understands that her Mommy and Daddy still loves her and that is the one thing that will never change!

Due to my upbringing in the backdrop of a broken family, I relate fully well with the reasons of the Author and Illustrator in giving birth to a powerful message as this one. There were times in my childhood that I wished for someone to explain to me why my Mom left us when my brother and I had needed her the most. I wondered for hours and hours why my Parents can’t stay together and be one happy family for us children’s benefit. The separation took great toll on us kids and some of the scars that it left in its wake were really long lasting. Even though we had our Dad and he tried to be the best Parent he can be, there was a void, you know, which no one could fill. I needed answers and I never got them. But as the years passed, I made sense of my life and connected all the missing dots with the lessons that I learned along the way.

 Looking back, I realize it was not all bad. There were good times and bad… there were tears and laughter….there were trials and errors and then some success stories. Yes, I could totally relate with Mavis and Lizzie because I see bits and pieces of myself in both of them. And I do cheer them all the way in all their endeavors and I hope and wish “This love is Forever’ to be the sacred refuge for all those children of divorce and their parents….

****This is a sponsored post. I was also provided with a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own and they are 100% honest*****