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    Next of Kin
    Next of Kin
    Next of Kin
    Ebook52 pages44 minutes

    Next of Kin

    By Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    Every expatriate holds a special dread of an unexpected middle-of-the-night phone call. It usually means a loved one is gone and because of the distance, there's nothing the expat can do about it. American Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen learned that lesson the hard way. Lalisse-Jespersen, author of the novel Stockdale, is back, this time with the account of losing her father while living in Paris.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPriscilla Lalisse-Jespersen
    Release dateDec 30, 2010
    ISBN9781458182333
    Next of Kin
    Author

    Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

    Alabama native Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen moved to Paris from Manhattan in 1999 where she worked as a magazine editor for C++ and JOOP Magazines. Her articles appeared regularly in a variety of online publications such as Bonjour Paris, Café De La Soul, and Paris Woman Journal, until she launched her own webzine called Prissy Mag, which offers a unique view into every day French life, as seen through the eyes of Anglophones. Her debut novel Stockdale tells the tale of Cassie Taylor, a young heroine who longs to escape from the confines of small-town life. Her second book, Next of Kin was published in January 2011.

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    • 3/5
      A World Turned Upside DownAuthor Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen purged raw emotions into her short story "Next Of Kin." Priscilla learns of the death of her father while residing in France. Her father struggled with cancer before. After learning that his cancer returned, Priscilla thought this time would be like any other and end in remission. That was until she received the dreadful phone call in the middle of the night. That was the night that her world as she knew it turned upside down. She not only had to go through the stages of mourning, she also had to learn about the greed of family members and the responsibilities of being the next of kin. If you are someone who has experienced the death of a loved one, you will be able to relate with the author's struggles. The author's natural emotions are deeply felt. One minute she is planning the burial of her father, the next she is thinking about the past. If you are an individual that wants details along the lines of a story, this book is not for you. I enjoyed "Next of Kin." I could feel the author's emotions. This would definitely be a good book for a grief and loss support group. There were a few minor grammatical errors and the story was difficult to follow. I think this is due to the rawness of the author's emotions. Would I purchase another book by this author? Most definitely. I look forward to reading her novel "Stockdale." Reviewed by: Sabrina 3.5 stars

    Book preview

    Next of Kin - Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

    NEXT OF KIN

    Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

    ****

    Published by:

    Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen at Smashwords

    Copyright (c) 2010 by Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

    Cover photo credit : Michael Jespersen

    ****

    All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

    Smashwords Edition Licence Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

    ****

    Visit my website at http://www.pljbooks.com

    ****

    To live over people’s lives is nothing unless we live over their perceptions, live over the growth, the change, the varying intensity of the same—since it was by these things they themselves lived.

    Henry James

    ***

    But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space.

    John Donne

    ***

    Foreword

    When I moved from Chicago to Paris in 2002, Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen became my first real friend in France. We had a lot in common: both African American career women married to French husbands. We shared similar interests in writing, felt deep familial connections. We had children similar in age ... we were even the same age!

    We joined a lot of clubs together, but the one club I hoped she could delay joining was the dead-parent club. I became a two-time member in 2006 when my older brother called to say our mother had died suddenly, without warning. Four years later, living in yet another foreign country, I still jump out of my skin every time my phone rings in the middle of the night. Every expatriate comes to know that a call like that one rarely brings good news.

    To lose a parent is always tough. To lose one while living thousands of miles away from everything and everyone that makes us ... well, us, is tougher than anything anyone could ever imagine. Feelings of denial, helplessness, futility, profound sorrow, gut-wrenching pain and yes, irreconcilable guilt, are always present.

    That is what makes Lalisse-Jespersen's story so honest, brave and memorable. If you have ever been where she has been, the experience is all too familiar and relatable. If you have been spared this misfortune for the time being, her account presents an opportunity for you to reflect and make sure that when a loved one passes, there are no regrets and nothing remains unsaid.

    Lalisse-Jespersen has written a beautiful tribute to her father. He would be so proud of his Next of Kin.

    ***

    Author’s note:

    Some names have been changed to protect the innocent … as well as the not so innocent.

    ***

    CHAPTER 1

    Friday, June 25, 2010

    It was going to be another hot day in Alabama. Though only noon,

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