“Ruchti’s best work yet.”–Publishers Weekly, starred reviewShe helps others manage their desperate lives–but who will help her?Clinical psychologist Camille Brooks isn’t put off by the lifestyle of her hoarding clients. After all, she lost her mother to the crippling anxiety disorder. She’ll go a long way to help others avoid the same pain and loss.Despite Camille’s expertise, her growing … Camille’s expertise, her growing audience for her Let in the Light podcast, and the national recognition she’s gaining for her creative coaching methods, there are some things she isn’t prepared for. A client who looks far too much like her mom catches her off guard. And the revelation that she’s also hoarding something sends her spinning.
Can she stand to let the light into her own life with the help of a friend who wants to stand by her for life and the God who created and loves her? Or will she find that defeating her demons proves too much to bear?
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A well written book on a difficult subject that is not well understood. Characters have heart. A life changing compassionate read. Highly recommend it. Filled with HOPE.
“The emotional darkness that enshrouds a person with a compulsive hoarding disorder keeps them from seeing. Normal to them is darkness. . . . . Your loved one isn’t resisting the light. He or she may be afraid of it.”
“She wasn’t their saving grace. But if she could point them–Point them to it. Pull back the curtain and let in the light.”
So many of Dr. Camille Brooks’ clients live their lives shrouded in darkness . . . dark rooms, dark houses, dark lives. More often than not, in order to gain entrance into their shadowy domain, Camille is literally required to squeeze through impossibly small cracks in front doors. Determined to ease the pain of hoarders and their families, (which she knows from personal experience is debilitating) Camille is hopeful that her podcast will introduce her to potential clients in such a way, that she becomes trustworthy and approachable, before a face to face encounter ever takes place. And it seems to be working, albeit slowly.
When one of her clients seems to make a quicker than expected breakthrough, Camille gains an unexpected ally when she hires a new garbage retrieval service and meets a man whose impenetrable cheery attitude sets off all sorts of alarms that Camille can’t seem to turn off, until she isn’t sure that she even wants to. Eli Rand is as enigmatic as his cranberry jumpsuit.
This book is a bit like quicksand in the sense that before you realize what is happening, you’re sinking deep into issues from which few ever recover. There are certainly no easy answers, and the author understands that true healing from this, or any other addiction, takes an enormous amount of work combined with a willingness to invest in quality counsel; but the missing ingredient is often pulling back the curtains . . . . and letting in the Light.
“Light had a way of piercing all kinds of darkness.”
I loved so much about Afraid of the Light—the cast of characters, their internal struggles, and their journeys toward healing. I so appreciate Cynthia Ruchti’s commitment to research and the authenticity with which it allowed her to create this story. But most of all, I wish I could put this book in the hands of every person who has a loved one suffering from hoarding. It speaks so clearly to the wounds of family members and to the mistakes they make in trying to “help.” Afraid of the Light could be a first step toward healing for families.
Cynthia’s newest book does not disappoint. This is some of her strongest writing yet with word pictures that delight and provoke thought. You know, one of those stories you need a notebook beside you while reading to copy pithy sayings! I finished a week ago and the characters remain with me. Watching Cam struggle to heal others and be healed is so gratifying. Although there is a touch of romance, it does not overpower the story. The plot is not formulaic, endings not neat and tidy, life here realistic. Pay close attention to Ivan when you read the book. Ivan exemplifies the self sacrificing care we need to see more of in our world and from ourselves. Best quote: “You probably can’t understand how scary it is to shake off darkness if you’ve been living with it so long it seems normal.”
This story is so compelling, powerfully carrying the nuances and details of what it’s like to be a hoarder or to have lived with one. It’s such a difficult and heavy subject, but the author sculpts it with winsome characters, especially the ingenious Eli Rand with his fleet of white and cranberry garbage trucks, and his insights. The main characters are complex, just like those we know and live with in real life.
The discussion questions at the end are dynamic and thought-provoking. How the book began to take shape even in a meeting with the publisher’s team was enlightening. Yes, a very important topic, and such an inspiring way to begin a conversation about hoarding.
Afraid of the Light is an amazing novel that tackles the disorder of hoarding. I wasn’t sure if I would like this book but after a couple of chapters, I absolutely loved it. Ms. Ruchti managed to shed light on this anxiety disorder by writing a touching story of people who are affected and also the family who love them.
This is a novel where you will take your time reading each and every word to make sure you understand what it takes for someone to get through this with the help of a professional. It’s a very moving, insightful and well written novel. I highly recommend this book. I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.