Behind the Smile & A Silk Rose Never Dies

On a recent work trip, I had extra time to read both at the airport and on the airplane. I ended up reading two books by a new-to-me author named KP Rogers. Both books are memoirs, not my usual forte, but I’m so glad I took this opportunity!

 The author has a poignantly beautiful style, eloquent in her descriptiveness without being wordy or cliche. I was riveted both times and couldn’t put the books down until I’d turned the last page. 

The first book I read called Behind the Smile: A Survivor of the Metis Sixties Scoop, chronicles her life in the foster care system. The inhumane and dehumanizing treatment she suffered from her so-called caregivers was shocking–a real eye-opener and frankly, a disgraceful example of a system in need of serious repair.  Yet, through it all, she still offers a modicum of hope.  

The second book, A Silk Rose Never Dies, was equally touching. In it she describes caring for her husband through his terminal illness after they’d barely started a life together. Her resilience and determination are remarkable throughout, and again, despite the heaviness of grief, she offers hope at the end of the tunnel.  

Here are my reviews:

Behind the Smile: A Survivor of the Metis Sixties Scoop

An Enormously Important Story

This true story exposes the inhumanity inflicted on innocents that was the ‘Sixties scoop’. This survivor’s memoir is well-written and eloquently told. I was riveted the moment I started reading and didn’t put it down until finished. It is an enormously important story that is, unfortunately, not uncommon, but is one that must be heard. It is a part of our history as a nation that must not be swept under the rug and a testament to a broken system that still needs fixing. I send my heart-felt applause to the author for having the courage to tell her story and the grace to do it in such as way that it is accessible to everyone without any sugarcoating.

A Silk Rose Never Dies

Pure In its intensity

This short memoir is both heart-wrenching and strangely uplifting. It is beautifully written with an emotional depth that delves deep into the human soul. Poignant and honest, it chronicles the author’s short but life-altering love for a soulmate who was taken far too soon. For anyone who has experienced grief, this book will bring hope that there is light at the end of that tunnel. A definite five-star read, no question, when stars are thrown around like candy. This one delivers.

I highly recommend both books!