As a book reviewer, I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher or author to facilitate this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are always 100% my own.
KJ Ramsey is familiar with chronic illness, but after more than a decade of dealing with really heavy, scary stuff, she was the healthiest she’d been in a long time–so healthy, in fact, that the world of the outdoors, hiking, and camping was open to her again. With great anticipation she plans a trip to revisit all the national parks she’d visited with her family as a child. With a tenacious grip on joy, she plans to face past trauma honestly.
Everything starts out great. She loads up her Jeep, nicknamed Reepijeep, and heads out from Colorado to Oregon. Her first trip visits Crater Lake and the Redwoods. She describes camping, all-women events at local hot springs, plunging into the cold Pacific, and more. I loved this part of this book. This is my neck of the woods, and I could practically smell the cedar, hemlock, and pine forests she so eloquently describes, or taste the cold salt spray. KJ Ramsey is an excellent writer.
On her return to Colorado, she is continuing with her regular treatments for various conditions when she is hit out of the blue with a mysterious, life-threatening illness that leaves her unable to eat anything and barely able to breathe. She’s only kept alive through massive steroid shots, which end up having terrible long term consequences on the health of her very bones. KJ has to decide if she even wants to live, as she swings between life and death. But this isn’t an inspirational book about someone learning to walk again a la Reader’s Digest.
Through it all, KJ keeps her tenacious grip on joy. This isn’t a joy of platitudes or positive thinking, this is gritty, no-holds-barred, teeth-clenching joy–not born of stubbornly refusing to accept reality, but instead staring it in the face.
The Place Between our Pains is a gorgeous book. KJ is a trained trauma therapist and brings that wisdom to bear–honestly, KJ is a wise person in many ways, and you’ll want to hear what she has to say. Although I (happily) have never faced major health crises in my life, like all people alive on this earth I have had my fair share of trauma. Walking with her through life-shattering circumstances gives hope, and shows that joy can find us anywhere. Highly recommended! I think it’s her best book yet.
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