Peaks and Valleys
A woman's journey through life and loss
A collection of short stories written after the death of the author's husband. At thirty-eight, Amita began reflecting on life, its purpose, and why there is suffering. With the help of monks, a holy man, medicine people, friends and strangers, the book follows an emotional and vivid journey of self-exploration.
These stories were written in the years after my husband died, when the questions that had always seemed abstract suddenly were not. What is a life for? Why is there suffering? I went looking for answers in places I would not have imagined visiting, and in the company of monks, a holy man, medicine people, close friends and complete strangers.
The book does not offer a method for grieving, and it does not arrive at a tidy conclusion. Each story is a single moment along the way, and together they trace how loss slowly became something I could carry rather than something that carried me.
I share it for anyone who is living through a loss of their own, or walking beside someone who is. The experience also shaped the way I work with patients, and the steadiness I try to bring to people facing uncertainty began in these pages.
Chapter 4: The Shaman's Death
Read the fourth chapter in its entirety, with illustrations by Krishna Kataria.