Linda Collins - Loss Adjustment

I wish this book didnt have to be written. Most of us have experienced the tragedy of a loss, but few can write about it, or want to. Linda Collins takes this courageous step by doing the impossiblerecounting her daughters suicide. But Loss Adjustment is not just about a suicide. It is not just about the end of a life. It is about the prevention of death.

Suicide is not a bad word. Whats bad is our refusal as a society to talk openly and plainly about it. As adults, teachers, parents, colleagues, classmates we have a responsibility to those around us, especially those who are young, those still trying to make sense of the world they live in. I wish this book didnt have to be written but it has, and it will save lives.

Haresh Sharma, Cultural Medallion Recipient and
Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage

In this book, Linda Collins shares a private pain that many of us will never have to endure. In this raw, honest reflection upon the loss of a beloved child, Collins takes us on an examination of human nature, family ties, and hidden struggles. A book that calls on us to bear witness to human struggles and not look away.

Kirsten Han, Editor-in-Chief of New Naratif
and Human Rights Press Awardee

The details captured in the book are raw and impactful. As a parent myself, I can only imagine the pain and loss Linda must have gone through. Her experience is captured in a quiet, matter-of-fact, and yet loving way. It is a good reminder of the pain of people left behind. Death of a loved one is never an easy experience, this book reminds all of us that there is a lot more we can do to raise awareness on suicide, catch the signs, and provide a supportive ecosystem to prevent suicides from happening.

Louis Ng, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, Singapore

My deep thanks to Linda for this selfless sharing of loss and grief. There is much to learn from this honest and poignant account of her daughters suicide. This book is a must-read for parents, teachers, mental healthcare workers, teens; indeed for all who care for and value human life.

Dr Radiah Salim, founder and president of Club HEAL

A beautifully wrought and intensely self-aware account of the grief of a mother losing her child to the most heartbreaking of circumstances. For Ms Collins, an expat from New Zealand, the at-first odd seeming rituals of grief of her Singaporean colleagues and neighbours, who rally selflessly around her, become steely anchors that tide her and her husband through their inexplicable tragedy. A unique, elucidating account of how cultural newness in the face of harrowing pain, can be an unexpected balm and gentle soothe to an earth-shattering loss.

Zizi Majid, playwright-director

In language so sharp in its sheer clarity, Linda Collins opens up an emotional investigation into her past. Or more specifically, her daughters, and why a talented young writer on the cusp of becoming would take her own life. Honest and heartrending, Loss Adjustment is as much a memoir of a family coming to terms with grief as a post-mortem of a troubled soul.

Felix Cheong, author and chief judge for Singapore
Literature Prize (non-fiction) 2016

Speaking about suicide has always been a taboo topicin Singapore and around the world. Loss Adjustment provides us with raw truths of the living searching for answers that might have led their loved one to take his/her own life. It also shows us a glimpse of the harsh reality that the stigma of suicide carries, which further adds on the livings pain and suffering. Through Linda Collinss writing, and alongside her daughters journal entries, we are clued into the complexities of having an invisible illness and how it affects not just the person, but the people around them.

Cheryl Tan, Founder, The Breathe Movement
Festival Director, Singapore Mental Health Film Festival

Loss Adjustment
Copyright Linda Collins, 2019

ISBN 978-981-14-1477-0 (paperback)
ISBN 978-981-14-2327-7 (ebook)

Published under the imprint Ethos Books
by Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd
#06-131 Midview City
28 Sin Ming Lane
Singapore 573972
www.ethosbooks.com.sg

The publisher reserves all rights to this title.
Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Illustrations of kingfishers by Amanda Tan
Cover design and layout by Word Image Pte Ltd
Printed by Ho Printing Singapore Pte Ltd

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First published under this imprint in 2019

Typefaces: Cormorant; Big Caslon
Material: 70gsm Cream Wood Free Antique Bulk

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Collins, Linda, 1959
Title: Loss adjustment / Linda Collins.
Description: Singapore : Ethos Books, [2019]
Identifiers: OCN 1112146742 | ISBN 978-981-14-1477-0 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Parental grief. | Loss (Psychology) | Suicide victimsFamily relationships. | Teenagers--Suicidal behavior. | Mothers of suicide victims--Biography.
Classification: DDC 155.937092--dc23

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