“The kind of grief born out of tragedy and trauma is almost always an unexpected shock to the system—a debilitating shock at that. Add in a crash course with our legal system and a burgeoning relationship with the offender and you get this no holds barred real life drama from Diane De Han. It’s a story you will not want to miss!”
Pastor Les Ferguson Jr
Author, “Still Wrestling”
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“I am a 20 year veteran of the NYPD. My career began in the subways of some of the toughest neighborhoods in Brooklyn to the streets of South Jamaica Queens during the crack epidemic of the 80s. I was assigned to the Emergency Service Unit dealing with the most horrific scenes one could imagine including 9/11 where we lost 14 friends in our Unit and many more due to 9/11 illnesses since.
Reading the gripping words from Diane De Han’s journey about the murder of her son Marc through her eyes and heart brings back so much trauma of what a loved one goes through when losing a child. Especially when that loss involves a violent crime such as Marc’s. When a police officer or a fireman dies in the Line of Duty there is an outpouring of support from co-workers near and far, unions, politicians, and communities. There are streets named after, anniversary memorials, scholarships in their names. When a parent loses a child to a victim of a crime that parent has to lean on loved ones, friends, the police investigators and the court system.
Far too often those support systems fade away as their lives or other crimes take over. No street named afterwards, no memorials, and sadly no scholarships. The longer an investigation takes the more hopeless it can be for those loved ones. Often times a family member can feel as though they are the only ones to care anymore if a crime is solved and they feel they are the only advocate for justice. But behind the scenes are usually hard working determined detectives working vigorously to provide what little justice they can for the crushed hearts of people like Diane and others.
Diane gives us a sense of the nightmare she has lived through from the first phone call to having to go though her son Marc’s belongings to dealing with having to face this trauma with her ex-husband. It is a nightmare we can close the book on but sadly Diane cannot. The book is extremely difficult to put down as we are taken on the roller coaster ride of her son’s murder and the fight for justice. In the end Diane makes one grateful for each and everyday we have on earth with our loved ones.”
Mark Chamberlain
NYPD Police Officer,
Retired Emergency Service Unit.
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“For many years, I’ve been an avid fan of true crime books. This is the very first time one of them has shown me such a shattering tragedy through the eyes of a parent. You can almost feel the steps Diane takes on her long pathway as she learns to live with the pain and implications of her son’s violent death. It’s vivid and emotional and reminds the reader over and over about how the bonds of love outlast all of us when we’re gone.”
Joe Silverman, M.D.
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“Diane lived through and is living through something we as parents close our eyes to and chant the mantra, “It will never happen to me.” If we think it and say it enough, it will be true. The truth is we are all vulnerable to the sins of this world and the ultimate, painful sin happened to her son. Diane lost a child to murder and was thrown into a world she never intended to become so intimate with. Diane opens our eyes to how a parent navigates this type of pain in a real and up-to-the-minute account, from the first time she hears the news about her son to each uninvited experience of meeting with police and attending court. Her viewpoint is vulnerable and real, and she lets us walk through this unimaginable path with her.
My biggest takeaway is how her faith in Jesus never wavered and she held hands with God throughout this entire ordeal. It’s a story about pain but it is also a book about redemption. Diane managed to live through this devastating loss of her son, gain strength enough to stand up for him, and in the end have forgiveness and a Christlike heart for the defendants who changed the course of her and her son’s life.
I highly recommend this book because living in a sinful world we all experience pain and suffering. Through this bird’s eye view of a mother shouldering the murder of her beloved son, we learn how the love of Christ can change how we walk through our own painful, life-changing moments in this world that is not our forever home.”
Crista Crawford,
Author: The Full Armor of God:
Are You Sure You Got Dressed Today?
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“Written straight from the grieving heart of a mother whose soul is renewed through the journey of forgiveness and new life. Diane De Han witnesses hope in the darkness and invites us to join her. Powerful… ”
Pastor Dana Hanson
Author, Reboot: 70 Life Lessons with Dallas Willard
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“Diane’s perseverance through unimaginable pain gives hope that with God’s help, healing is possible. Diane has an amazing story of forgiveness that will inspire, encourage, and help people heal.”
Chris McKinney, Founder and Managing Editor,
Called Writers Christian Publishing
Author, “Calling All Writers”
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“A truly remarkable book by a remarkable woman. Marc was a kind yet strong man who had a lasting impact on everyone who was lucky enough to know him. He is missed dearly but will be with all who knew him forever.”
Brian Wilke
Executive Chef, Oregon Culinary Institute
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“This book makes me think if you can get through this horrible ordeal with your son and actually write about it and look so beautiful, I can get through anything.”
Audrey Lowe
Owner, Audrey L’s
Lake Geneva, WI
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“Diane, I know how much effort and attention to detail you’ve put into this. And I recognize that writing a heartfelt book capturing this experience of going through one of the most horrible things that any mother would ever have to go through is very difficult. Many people would have found it far too difficult to delve back into this experience to write something like this. You are a very strong woman.”
Nicole (Jergovic) Harris
Deputy D.A., Multnomah County, OR