Picking Up The Shards: Healing the Pain of Mother-Wounds, Discovering the Mother-Heart of God

I was immediately attracted to the book title and sub-title, because my own mom was the biggest pain and abuser in my life. While reading author’s memoir, I felt her stories resonate so much with me, and it stirred heavy emotions in me. Most importantly, it helped me recognize those deeply-hurt feelings and set them free. It was very healing for me. I am very grateful that the author shared her personal stories and her vulnerability with us, so we can heal together with her. Many of us carry some kind of emotional abuses from parents. Like the author, I had a broken childhood. My mom left me with my aunt when I was six months old. My aunt is a kind person with a golden heart, but she had six children of her own, and a husband who abandoned the family. She tried her best to take care of me, but she didn’t have the education nor the time to nurture me. To make things worse, I was taken out of my aunt’s life completely when I turned nine years old. I returned to live my parents so I could walk to school with my younger sister when she reached school age. In my mom’s 30s and 40s, she was facing health challenges, a boss that made her life miserable, and she did not have emotional intelligence to handle the challenges. She accused me causing all the troubles in her life. She constantly points out my weaknesses and everything I did was wrong in her eyes. She repeated told me that I couldn’t find a husband and she had to take care of me until I am old. It gave intense insecurity later in life. Seeing the author going through similar situations and made me realize that the mothering problem is extensive. The childhood feeling of abandonment, neglect, insults and punishment went with me well into my adult life. I too, questioned about my self-worth and self-esteem. It took me many years of self-discovery, learning and healing to finally able to build loving and trustworthy relationship with my husband and children. I also believe spiritual healing is the highest level of healing, and I am grateful the author uses her Christian faith to teach and heal. The best part I love is “forgiving the unforgivable” message, it is very powerful and it speaks directly to my heart. I also love the reflection questions and words of encouragement at the end of each chapter.

"Picking Up The Shards" is a very personal odessey of suffering and self-realisation. It is too long and could be improved by careful pruning but as with so much very introverted writing about trauma, the author (authors) are often unable to stand back. Anita M. Oommen takes her readers on a very long journey and the pain is too obvious to ignore. A sensitive, gifted daughter is put aside by a ridiculously ignorant and overbearing family. The great virtue of the tale is in the way in which Oommen chronicles how our early years really do haunt us until we find ways of forgiving, “forgetting”, and liberating ourselves from unhealthy patterns which we tend to ignore because acknowledging and bearing up to them with fortitude to change are too difficult. “Picking Up The Shards” is also praiseworthy in its clear mission to single out the mother-child-daughter relationship and put it under the microscope however hard and pain-filled that may be. Oommen could easily have become another vehicle for women’s liberation and the outrage that movement expresses through many of its most vehement and fanatical mouthpieces. It seems, however, that she tries to choose religion to help her spell out what functional and dysfunctional families represent and perpetrate rather than an aggressive, respected, very worldly movement - Women's Lib. For me the religion is fine but very obtrusive, and I certainly don’t see the sense of drawing attention to certain aspects of Biblical writing which are suspect. For example, the overdone, seemingly blind references to the eagle. That bird is certainly not as courageous as the robin redbreast and in the ornithological world is well known to be a scavenger - maybe a noble scavenger (unlike the vulture) - but a scavenger, none the less. The Bible is not only the inspired word of God but it is also a work of literature, and its authors are not always up to it! All told, Oommen’s tale is painful, somewhat repetitive, and puzzling in the sense that an unsympathetic reader may well sit back and say, “You blame so much yet your opportunities and successes are so great. Why do you paint your family in so many poor shades of grey and black?” Well, that’s only one of many responses that may be forthcoming. For me, it’s never particularly relevant to dismiss the pain by proclaiming the ultimate gain. That gain could be, could have been, far greater had the origins been happy, sensitive, positive, genuine and generous. Too many grown-ups, in this instance, mothers, have jobs to do which they can’t do because of their own inner trauma, their own bad families, their own ignorance, jealousy, twistedness and overwhelming egoism. But DNA and bad blood run in the genes, and those who find a way into the light stand there exposed. Is any of this relevant to “Picking Up The Shards”? Just possibly, because lurking beneath the surface are unresolved issues, I feel…but that’s the case for all victims of unsuccessful families, problematic mothers, and insensitive family criminal controllers and tool-fools.

Anita’s story touched me deeply. Her mother wounds are so horrific, they seemed beyond recovery. Her unrelenting perseverance (what her mother and others critically called her “stubbornness”) ignited a need to pursue Gods word, over decades, as it pertains to hurtful mother-daughter relationships. With tremendous vulnerability, she lays aside “self” to undertake a life-long journey of learning, understanding and following Gods word, strengthening her faith and relationships with each new revelation. Throughout this experience, she is continually shown the transformative power of persistence, love, faith and finally, forgiveness. It is a powerful testament and validating read for anyone who desires to heal their mother wounds. Thank you, Anita.

Kicked to the curb by an emotionally abusive mother, the author loses her sense of personal identity as a child. Like most abused children, the wounds linger into adulthood. Anita’s extremely well-written memoir shares her Christian path to healing. She faces her darkest emotions and ferrets out the limiting conclusions she drew about herself as a child. She adamantly calls for the Truth of her God-given identity to be restored. I love the way Anita formatted the book. Reflection Questions and Words of Encouragement at the end of the chapters provide a summary and clear guidance that every abused person can use to heal. Kudos to Anita Oommen for doing the rigorous work to restore her Authentic Self and deepen her relationship with God. Her beautiful voice, which she shares so eloquently in this book, is a reflection of all the healing work she’s done. Thank you for giving the world another solid demonstration of how we can rise above the pain of our past. I'll be recommending this book to my Christian clients with a mother-wound. – Review written by a licensed professional counselor and bestselling author of The Gifted Highly Sensitive Introvert: Wisdom for Emotional Healing and Expressing Your Radiant Authentic Self

I was drawn to this book because I have wounds from the relationship I had with my mother. I want to heal so I can improve my relationships with women in general. God fills a lot of the void in my heart. Anita makes herself vulnerable in her story. She includes deep reflection questions. She wrote, " You can subconsciously sabotage yourself through the words you choose to speak to yourself." She provides paragraphs of words of encouragement in her book. She expresses that she developed "shutting inward". I went through that too. The statement," Perhaps the river of Mother's love was flowing upstream against resistance and withdrawal as I wasn't fulfilling the role of "scapegoat daughter" or "fantasy daughter". This last quote resonates with me. She calls herself the black sheep of her family. That resonates with me. She defines emotional abuse as, " True emotional abuse brainwashes the victim to systematically wear at the core of a person's self-confidence and self-worth, to where he or she develops mistrust in his or her perception of self-concept." "Gaslighting is a term used to describe when the abuser makes another person doubt her character, her perceptions, her memory, and her own sanity." This resonates. She writes about the four different attachment styles. They are secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized. She quotes Scripture throughout her book and refers to the feminine side of God. Another quote that resonates is, "God's ways and God's timing are amazing!" I call it Divine timing. She refers to forgiveness, "If we give it all to God it allows us to become all God make us to be - authentic, free, transparent, and not stuck in the wounds of the past."

This is very authentically written with loving intentions and provides an avenue for healing for anyone who struggles with feelings of neglect or abandonment from childhood memories that feel difficult to move past or let go of. You are meant to be feeling good about yourself and your life, and nothing from the past needs to have its hold on you. This book could help you give yourself permission to let go of it and begin loving and accepting yourself enough for everyone. How you feel about yourself sets the tone for all your life experiences. And it’s time for all of us to begin living in the moment and being in the joy of who we are. I started believing in myself more and feeling fortunate to be who I am a long time ago. And I hope you will too. Its life-changing in the best possible way.

Most of us who’ve been abused have become brilliant illusionists with deathly secure psychological constructs that can survive whatever the world throws at us. But....can we really survive what’s deeply mirking beneath, known only to us, felt only by us? These constructs and belief systems stemming from childhood abuse have so efficiently trapped us between fear and shame like a Newton’s cradle. Anita dared to take a wrecking ball to all....because they didn’t work,...they failed, they were bound to...for us all. She let God speak truth and light into these shadowy webs. And the webs were incinerated. It came at a cost, but one that is fleeting as this life on earth. What she exposed no longer has a hold, what she espoused are treasures in heaven.

The author has written her deeply personal story with intense honesty. She bravely recounts her history of attachment disorder, emotional abuse, physical and sexual abuse. Her account of finally recognizing the affects of her story on her adult life, resulting in her pursuit of professional help, is inspiring. I appreciate her understanding of brain development and neuroplasticity, and it’s role in her recovery. She weaves a story of healing that involves brain science, therapeutic treatment, and the love of God, a rare but necessary combination. I love how she makes available to the reader her own knowledge and experience of very personal healing and recovery, including her thoughts on the need for forgiveness. The author’s visions of God’s mother love are profound. This book can be the catalyst for many more healings/recoveries!

This is a well written story and blueprint to healing deep wounds from childhood. Probably the toughest is a broken mother relationship. It made me realize more of the harm that my inner child needed to heal from my own mother. The thing that surprised me was how I digested the scriptures and stories from the bible. Because my father was a Christian hypocrite - I shy away from preachy bible toting people. But that is not the case here at all. The author makes bible stories understandable and relatable to the topic. It made me realize that God is my protector and that he can be a mother/father entity. Thank you.

If you have ever suffered rejection, abuse, or mistreatment that left you broken and wounded, you need to read this book. The author faced rejection, manipulation, and deep wounds at the hands of her mother and other women in her life, but she overcame by finding her identity in the Lord and His love for her. Her story is one that will stay in my heart for a long time. We don't have to allow the words and rejection of others to define us. We can pick up the shards of brokenness and place them in God's hands. He will restore and use the story to be a blessing to someone else.

I was immediately attracted to the book title and sub-title, because my own mom was the biggest pain and abuser in my life. While reading author’s memoir, I felt her stories resonate so much with me, and it stirred heavy emotions in me. Most importantly, it helped me recognize those deeply-hurt feelings and set them free. It was very healing for me. I am very grateful that the author shared her personal stories and her vulnerability with us, so we can heal together with her. Many of us carry some kind of emotional abuses from parents. Like the author, I had a broken childhood. My mom left me with my aunt when I was six months old. My aunt is a kind person with a golden heart, but she had six children of her own, and a husband who abandoned the family. She tried her best to take care of me, but she didn’t have the education nor the time to nurture me. To make things worse, I was taken out of my aunt’s life completely when I turned nine years old. I returned to live my parents so I could walk to school with my younger sister when she reached school age. In my mom’s 30s and 40s, she was facing health challenges, a boss that made her life miserable, and she did not have emotional intelligence to handle the challenges. She accused me causing all the troubles in her life. She constantly points out my weaknesses and everything I did was wrong in her eyes. She repeated told me that I couldn’t find a husband and she had to take care of me until I am old. It gave intense insecurity later in life. Seeing the author going through similar situations and made me realize that the mothering problem is extensive. The childhood feeling of abandonment, neglect, insults and punishment went with me well into my adult life. I too, questioned about my self-worth and self-esteem. It took me many years of self-discovery, learning and healing to finally able to build loving and trustworthy relationship with my husband and children. I also believe spiritual healing is the highest level of healing, and I am grateful the author uses her Christian faith to teach and heal. The best part I love is “forgiving the unforgivable” message, it is very powerful and it speaks directly to my heart. I also love the reflection questions and words of encouragement at the end of each chapter.

"Picking Up The Shards" is a very personal odessey of suffering and self-realisation. It is too long and could be improved by careful pruning but as with so much very introverted writing about trauma, the author (authors) are often unable to stand back. Anita M. Oommen takes her readers on a very long journey and the pain is too obvious to ignore. A sensitive, gifted daughter is put aside by a ridiculously ignorant and overbearing family. The great virtue of the tale is in the way in which Oommen chronicles how our early years really do haunt us until we find ways of forgiving, “forgetting”, and liberating ourselves from unhealthy patterns which we tend to ignore because acknowledging and bearing up to them with fortitude to change are too difficult. “Picking Up The Shards” is also praiseworthy in its clear mission to single out the mother-child-daughter relationship and put it under the microscope however hard and pain-filled that may be. Oommen could easily have become another vehicle for women’s liberation and the outrage that movement expresses through many of its most vehement and fanatical mouthpieces. It seems, however, that she tries to choose religion to help her spell out what functional and dysfunctional families represent and perpetrate rather than an aggressive, respected, very worldly movement - Women's Lib. For me the religion is fine but very obtrusive, and I certainly don’t see the sense of drawing attention to certain aspects of Biblical writing which are suspect. For example, the overdone, seemingly blind references to the eagle. That bird is certainly not as courageous as the robin redbreast and in the ornithological world is well known to be a scavenger - maybe a noble scavenger (unlike the vulture) - but a scavenger, none the less. The Bible is not only the inspired word of God but it is also a work of literature, and its authors are not always up to it! All told, Oommen’s tale is painful, somewhat repetitive, and puzzling in the sense that an unsympathetic reader may well sit back and say, “You blame so much yet your opportunities and successes are so great. Why do you paint your family in so many poor shades of grey and black?” Well, that’s only one of many responses that may be forthcoming. For me, it’s never particularly relevant to dismiss the pain by proclaiming the ultimate gain. That gain could be, could have been, far greater had the origins been happy, sensitive, positive, genuine and generous. Too many grown-ups, in this instance, mothers, have jobs to do which they can’t do because of their own inner trauma, their own bad families, their own ignorance, jealousy, twistedness and overwhelming egoism. But DNA and bad blood run in the genes, and those who find a way into the light stand there exposed. Is any of this relevant to “Picking Up The Shards”? Just possibly, because lurking beneath the surface are unresolved issues, I feel…but that’s the case for all victims of unsuccessful families, problematic mothers, and insensitive family criminal controllers and tool-fools.

Anita’s story touched me deeply. Her mother wounds are so horrific, they seemed beyond recovery. Her unrelenting perseverance (what her mother and others critically called her “stubbornness”) ignited a need to pursue Gods word, over decades, as it pertains to hurtful mother-daughter relationships. With tremendous vulnerability, she lays aside “self” to undertake a life-long journey of learning, understanding and following Gods word, strengthening her faith and relationships with each new revelation. Throughout this experience, she is continually shown the transformative power of persistence, love, faith and finally, forgiveness. It is a powerful testament and validating read for anyone who desires to heal their mother wounds. Thank you, Anita.

Kicked to the curb by an emotionally abusive mother, the author loses her sense of personal identity as a child. Like most abused children, the wounds linger into adulthood. Anita’s extremely well-written memoir shares her Christian path to healing. She faces her darkest emotions and ferrets out the limiting conclusions she drew about herself as a child. She adamantly calls for the Truth of her God-given identity to be restored. I love the way Anita formatted the book. Reflection Questions and Words of Encouragement at the end of the chapters provide a summary and clear guidance that every abused person can use to heal. Kudos to Anita Oommen for doing the rigorous work to restore her Authentic Self and deepen her relationship with God. Her beautiful voice, which she shares so eloquently in this book, is a reflection of all the healing work she’s done. Thank you for giving the world another solid demonstration of how we can rise above the pain of our past. I'll be recommending this book to my Christian clients with a mother-wound. – Review written by a licensed professional counselor and bestselling author of The Gifted Highly Sensitive Introvert: Wisdom for Emotional Healing and Expressing Your Radiant Authentic Self

I was drawn to this book because I have wounds from the relationship I had with my mother. I want to heal so I can improve my relationships with women in general. God fills a lot of the void in my heart. Anita makes herself vulnerable in her story. She includes deep reflection questions. She wrote, " You can subconsciously sabotage yourself through the words you choose to speak to yourself." She provides paragraphs of words of encouragement in her book. She expresses that she developed "shutting inward". I went through that too. The statement," Perhaps the river of Mother's love was flowing upstream against resistance and withdrawal as I wasn't fulfilling the role of "scapegoat daughter" or "fantasy daughter". This last quote resonates with me. She calls herself the black sheep of her family. That resonates with me. She defines emotional abuse as, " True emotional abuse brainwashes the victim to systematically wear at the core of a person's self-confidence and self-worth, to where he or she develops mistrust in his or her perception of self-concept." "Gaslighting is a term used to describe when the abuser makes another person doubt her character, her perceptions, her memory, and her own sanity." This resonates. She writes about the four different attachment styles. They are secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized. She quotes Scripture throughout her book and refers to the feminine side of God. Another quote that resonates is, "God's ways and God's timing are amazing!" I call it Divine timing. She refers to forgiveness, "If we give it all to God it allows us to become all God make us to be - authentic, free, transparent, and not stuck in the wounds of the past."

This is very authentically written with loving intentions and provides an avenue for healing for anyone who struggles with feelings of neglect or abandonment from childhood memories that feel difficult to move past or let go of. You are meant to be feeling good about yourself and your life, and nothing from the past needs to have its hold on you. This book could help you give yourself permission to let go of it and begin loving and accepting yourself enough for everyone. How you feel about yourself sets the tone for all your life experiences. And it’s time for all of us to begin living in the moment and being in the joy of who we are. I started believing in myself more and feeling fortunate to be who I am a long time ago. And I hope you will too. Its life-changing in the best possible way.

Most of us who’ve been abused have become brilliant illusionists with deathly secure psychological constructs that can survive whatever the world throws at us. But....can we really survive what’s deeply mirking beneath, known only to us, felt only by us? These constructs and belief systems stemming from childhood abuse have so efficiently trapped us between fear and shame like a Newton’s cradle. Anita dared to take a wrecking ball to all....because they didn’t work,...they failed, they were bound to...for us all. She let God speak truth and light into these shadowy webs. And the webs were incinerated. It came at a cost, but one that is fleeting as this life on earth. What she exposed no longer has a hold, what she espoused are treasures in heaven.

The author has written her deeply personal story with intense honesty. She bravely recounts her history of attachment disorder, emotional abuse, physical and sexual abuse. Her account of finally recognizing the affects of her story on her adult life, resulting in her pursuit of professional help, is inspiring. I appreciate her understanding of brain development and neuroplasticity, and it’s role in her recovery. She weaves a story of healing that involves brain science, therapeutic treatment, and the love of God, a rare but necessary combination. I love how she makes available to the reader her own knowledge and experience of very personal healing and recovery, including her thoughts on the need for forgiveness. The author’s visions of God’s mother love are profound. This book can be the catalyst for many more healings/recoveries!

This is a well written story and blueprint to healing deep wounds from childhood. Probably the toughest is a broken mother relationship. It made me realize more of the harm that my inner child needed to heal from my own mother. The thing that surprised me was how I digested the scriptures and stories from the bible. Because my father was a Christian hypocrite - I shy away from preachy bible toting people. But that is not the case here at all. The author makes bible stories understandable and relatable to the topic. It made me realize that God is my protector and that he can be a mother/father entity. Thank you.

If you have ever suffered rejection, abuse, or mistreatment that left you broken and wounded, you need to read this book. The author faced rejection, manipulation, and deep wounds at the hands of her mother and other women in her life, but she overcame by finding her identity in the Lord and His love for her. Her story is one that will stay in my heart for a long time. We don't have to allow the words and rejection of others to define us. We can pick up the shards of brokenness and place them in God's hands. He will restore and use the story to be a blessing to someone else.

I soooo enjoyed reading Anita’s story and learning from her. I have some mother-wounds of my own and it was helpful and encouraging to read her story and all that God has taught her throughout the journey. I loved how she included reflection questions and final thoughts (words of encouragement) at the end of each chapter. It really added a richness to the book. I appreciate her boldness and honesty. So much of her life would be hard to verbally tell. But through the written word, Anita has beautifully communicated aspects of her life and how they impacted her. But she didn’t stop there. She tells the reader how she has healed and how we too can find healing. What a gift! – C.Sanders

Grabs you from the very beginning and keeps you following till the end. The author shared her hurts and scars and did not leave the reader, asking what the point was for the experience. The lessons learned from the experiences was clear and relatable. One doesn't have to experience what she went through to appreciate the lessons learned and how it can apply to everyone's life. It was sad to read about all the bad experiences she had growing up, but it was also refreshing to see how it all turned out. I like how she shared her faith and how integral it was in helping her get through it all. It led her to forgive all who had a hand in what happened to her. She went from being a victim to being a victor. Packed with gems and faith.

The writer dives into painful childhood growing up that she put into play with a dream and a therapist. You can definitely tell that it was very painful to retell this whole entire story from start to finish. Sometimes as one writes their story, it is a way of therapy, a way of healing of some sorts. The writer paints a picture of a difficult childhood but she wants her readers to know that you can in fact live through and get through a difficult situation that will in fact make you a stronger person.

This is a good book to get in touch with the deeply buried hurts in your life. If you looking for healing or maybe you are looking for a book that will move your soul and spirit this is the one. Get out your box of kleenex cause its hard to see what Anita went through. I love the encouragement at the end of the chapters, along with the reflection questions.. This meant a lot to me as I went through the book examining my own life. I will read this book again next year and I know there will be other things in my life I will work through.

An intimate and unflinching look at a courageous woman’s healing from trauma due to childhood abuse. Refusing to let her trauma continue to have power over her mind and spirit, Anita Oommen seeks professional and spiritual help. Ms. Oommen deftly weaves her own personal story into a riveting discussion of how brain science, therapeutic treatment, and spiritual guidance can be used to heal and recover from trauma. Beautifully written, I look forward to Ms. Oommen’s next book. If you or someone you love is suffering from delayed effects from trauma due to childhood abuse, please read this book.

Mum's voice becomes a child's inner voice. Truer words were never spoken. And this child will grow up and will act according to these labels and will live up to what this voice told them. This entire book has words of wisdom like this in it. Every mother should read this book 'before' they raise their children. I wish I had. Because even when we try our hardest and do our very best, we often enough just act from our own pain and wounds. Must read for all mums.

This book can help many people heal and recover from the trauma of every different kind of abuse. What a miracle that the author lived through these extremely hard circumstances and walked on to a meaningful existence to even author a book and help others. I would highly recommend this book to people that I know that need help in these ways, to help them be honest and confront these things that torment them.

Ms. Oommen's "Picking Up The Shards: Healing the Pain of Mother-Wounds..." is a courageous telling of her story from birth to today and how she navigated the treacherous waters of betrayal by family and loved ones who didn't protect her, of heart-wrenching loss of her childhood joy and wonder because of the many instances of torture meted out by authority figures in the name of "love" or "discipline", to finally reclaim her life and present through her relationship with her God and her faith. She provides wisdom, hope and promise that the reader can reclaim their lives, as well, by sharing her journey so bravely with us.

This book is for anyone who has a story to tell but has a million hesitations. I am one of those people and am terrified to be this vulnerable, but this author gives me strength through her example. Most of us today are starving for this kind of authenticity and vulnerability. She truly desires to help and inspire others as evidenced with reflection questions and words of encouragement at the end of each chapter. Cannot recommend this enough.

The moment I began to read this book, I knew even more than ever before, God sees me. I was able to fully embrace God and the power of His Word through the author's writing of God's "Mother Love." God unmasked my pain and heartache and brought healing where I didn't know I needed it. Through the raw, authentic and Spirit led words of the author, God shined His light in the dark hidden places where I was in denial about my own unhealthy relationship with my mother. I feel a freedom such as I have never felt! I thank God for the author sharing God's truth.

This book I think reminds all mothers to be careful how you talk and act towards your children. It obviously lets us now that there are some serious hurts that people are battling within their lives. I think this is a great book and resource to help people who have been bruised in some form or fashion in their lives and seeking restoration. I would definitely recommend this book!

Every chapter in this book pulls at your heartstrings and touches your very soul! It took tremendous courage for the author Anita, to bare her soul and bring out her life experiences to the open.... A little girl's journey from rejection, brokenness, abuse and sorrow, to a woman who eventually became an overcomer. An example of how God's love and grace triumphs over every kind of evil. This book helped me to see more in-depth into human character and understand people. It is a great asset for counselors in order to perceive others and help them. Above all, I believe this book will give hope and guidance to so many broken lives. A superb work!! Hats off to you Anita!

What an amazing life story! Many of us can relate to the author's pain. Mental abuse often causes far more damage than physical abuse as it abuses the soul, breaks the spirit and robs one of living one's life to the fullest. I love this book for not only the vulnerability shared, but also how to start to repair damage done by 'loved ones'. Bravery at its best!

Restoration is a holy process that includes characters like wounds, brokenness, vulnerability and redemption. Anita casts all of these courageously as she speaks her story and invites others to join her. There were many 'me too' moments - and many others to be had. Sharing wounds and pain always draws us to community and to the cross...and the message that 'He sets his mind to redeem it all'. Join her in her journey...be encouraged.

Although this book has many heart wrenching moments. I love the over all message of being able to overcome negative emotions created by Mom/Dad. My biggest take away here is that their comes a point where your identity does not become your broken relationships unless you allow it. Very inspiring book.

This book is a rare find, a gem! It is a story written in a beautiful, deep and raw way, that keeps you reading until the end, and intersected in the story, the book also becomes a guideline, a practical, yet spiritual book with steps on how to face and overcome abuse, and the wounds from the past. A must read to anyone that is willing to go to the root of their wounds, to really heal with God's help, and by doing so, finding the only way to move forward in their journey.

As a woman who suffers from her own mother wounds, this was a painful and inspiring read. I'm grateful she had the courage to write this book as there are many children who suffer emotional wounds from their parents that get carried into adulthood. It was uplifting to read about how she overcame her struggles and ultimately healed.

The author bared her souls and her hurts. She gave an inside scoop into her life as a child and her growth as an adult. She adds scientific reasons as to the why of behavior. This is a good read for those who ponder the, “Why?” Of child hood abuse.

This life presents us with many opportunities for pain and loss but it’s especially difficult when the source of that pain is family, even our own parents! Anita does a masterful job of allowing us to walk with her through her pain from childhood into adulthood and what dealing with that pain should really look like. This book is the story of an authentic journey as God leads Anita, and the reader, toward redemption!

I applaud you for your bravery in sharing your story. In some ways it is a reflection of my own. Awesome read for everyone who desires healing from their broken past. I highly recommend this book.

This is an amazing read! The author did a wonderful job expressing what she was able to over come for the treatment she endured as a child. I loved how she turned to God for healing and for finding forgiveness towards her mother and the others that abused her. This book has helped me to heal and let go of my own wounds from my mother. I highly recommend this book!

This is a great book. The journey of author Anita Oommen is a difficult one but she is using this to help others come to understand that they too can be overcomers. I love how Anita uses her expertise to guide others to an understanding of why others do what they do to hurt others. This is an amazing book. I highly recommend it.

This book documents a well thought out path to healing. Ms. Oommen is a well-educated woman, but tells how it took more than education to recognize, accept, and heal the wounds of her life. She explored her spiritual path and generously and bravely shares that path with us. This book will open your heart and mind.

Amazing life story !! It’s beautiful to see how God moves in the authors life to bring healing and restoration. Definitely a great book for people who have gone through emotional trauma . Thanks Anita for sharing your life with the world. This book reflects the truth that God can heal any broken heart . Great job!!

The author offers stories of her suffering and uses them as a guide for all who choose to take the journey toward true healing.

Deeply moving, inspirational read for anyone seeking solace & encouragement to overcome trauma in personal relationships Very well written with gut wrenching truths about the author's life & how she overcomes her hurdles to lead a more fulfilling & happy life !

Such a deep and honest description of her pain from her relationship with her mother. You can truly empathize with the author and feel your own faith grow as she discovers her true identity and value in Jesus Christ.

Well written , Strong and courageous effort to survive all the struggles and to have the strength to let the world know about it as well , a book worth your time and a definite healing path to all who have ever walked in her shoes .

The author is a heart felt wounded healer! Fantastic book on healing the mother wound..deeply personal and impactful! Full of raw pain, healing and grace! Great book!

Anita finds a way to put everyone in the room with her. She allows you into her hurt and then the restoration she finds through God’s love.

The author does an amazing job of writing such a hard story. It was inspiring for me to read. Thank you for writing it! I've been blessed in my journey because of this. Thank you!!!

Anita tells her courageous story with an authentic voice as she provides hope, guidance and biblically based resources to others who dealt with these difficult issue.

Very well written, definitely a must read if anyone has ever experience neglect from a loved one.

"In Picking Up the Shards, author Anita M. Oommen examines decades of her battle with soul-wounding from her mother and mother figures. She shares her gut-wrenching personal account of childhood trauma, neglect, rejection, and abuse. She takes you on her journey to pick up the broken pieces of her early childhood which she carried into adulthood, and shares her deepest emotions of hurt, anger, and loneliness with honesty and courage." Picking Up the Shards testifies to the unbroken resilience of the human spirit. Anita knows first-hand and has lived through and faced the painful experiences of childhood traumas and has come out triumphantly on the other side. Picking up the Shards is about the author’s awakening moment – when the despair of her mother-wounds met the mother-heart of God– which was the final catalyst to her ultimate healing and forgiveness of her mother(s). If you fall to pieces over a broken mother-child relationship, then you are not alone! Anita has been there, and she understands the deepest agony of your soul sounding. Have you questioned your life’s purpose, even to the dust of the ground of the womb where you were created? Let her show you through her own story that you have a decision to make—either to continue living the lies of those negative messages from your attachment figures or to pick up, embrace, and heal the broken pieces of your life. Anita shows you that you too can begin traveling this road to recovery with the deep, undying, unquenchable spirit of human resilience. You don’t have to settle down for the vicious cycle of living perpetually with the dysfunction of your home in your brain, body, and emotions. You can thrive by choosing to live, by deciding to forgive, and by inviting reconciliation.

If I could sum up this book in one word, it would be this: sincere. Anita's love for herself and and the reader is felt throughout every page. She steps into the darkness willingly, in order to tell her story and help the reader find their own complete mirror. I had chills multiple times reading and, quite honestly, was also triggered by certain scenes. Anita's words carried me through gently, and I was able to integrate the breadth of emotions into love and peace for the younger versions of me. If you have a complicated relationship with the word "mother", read this.

Anita basically stood up on stage and opened a vein - sharing about her early childhood in Ghana to coming to a crisis and turning point at age 40. She was brave to share such intimate details of her life with the purpose of strengthening and encouraging others.

I've read this book at the right time when I needed to be encouraged, inspired and learned from someone who've defeated many challenges in lives. Authentic, classic, inspirational! The book is greatly written with stories that will expose you to different culture and inspire you as well on author's perspective in life. It has words of encouragement and reflections as well that will keep you engaged throughout your reading experience. My favorite chapter is "Forgiving the Unforgivable"! A must read for everyone!

What a poignant and powerful story of healing and redemption this is! It is clearly and skilfully written with a compelling honesty as to how deep the pain of mother wounds can be - and how healing IS possible. Take this journey with Anita and allow the words of her story to minister to you, soothing your wounds with the balm of God's overcoming love. An uplifting and truly inspiring story!

Anita writes with honesty and vulnerability about her life story and how it can serve as a prism to understand shame, trauma and redemption for any other survivor of abuse. This book will encourage and empower those who are looking for someone to do more than sympathize with their suffering but, importantly, empathize with it.

Anita Oomen’s story is compelling and deftly written. It reads like the best globe-trotting mystery, but Oomen shares universal truths which speak to hope and wholeness. Oomen takes us with her as she survives a gritty and sometimes harrowing childhood abroad, into her discovery in the value of her own soul. This debut is much more than just a memoir. Oomen is a natural born story teller.

In life we know that pain is inevitable; and how we handle that pain determines our momentous abilities. The keen spiritual insights, coupled with both historical and scientific support gleaned from this woman's pain is an uncommon treasure. Her words are penetrable to even the hardest of hearts. Thank you Anita for using your pain to educate, guide and encourage others towards the next step. This book is indeed a momentous masterpiece!!

Picking Up The Shards: Healing the Pain of Mother-Wounds, Discovering the Mother-Heart of God is a challenging book to read due to the author's childhood trauma, however, it is a gem that I believe may help many people face their childhood traumas.

A very inspiration intuitive hope filled read by someone who has walked in others paths and knows the suffering and offers hope for help