Memoir

Mind-Body Connection

Memoir Cover Full

Five years after losing a newborn, Sue could not shake the sudden and continual onsets of nausea and brain fog. Barely functioning, she searched relentlessly for a diagnosis, and found her way to holistic medicine. Marriage and finances teetered while she struggled to work and care for a young son. But coping wasn’t enough, and Sue landed in the black recliner. Learning to relax led to an exploration of beliefs and traumas from a buried childhood in Asia. The healing that ensued was an extraordinary journey that restored and awakened her body and spirit. [5-star reviews on Amazon]

Sample Chapters

Why I Wrote It

About the Author

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Signed Copies

Gift yourself or loved ones a personalized copy with blessings. Please leave name and instructions in PayPal. $21 includes U.S. shipping. Buy Signed Memoir International orders please contact Sue.

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Advanced Reviews

“This compelling and readable cross-cultural memoir articulates the unconscious impact that childhood trauma can have upon our psycho-spiritual and physical lives as adults, and the way broken-heartedness can translate into devastating physical symptoms. The writing illuminates how the stress of chronic illness can take a toll upon our intimate relationships. May this narrative of Sue Wang’s journey to wholeness of body, mind, heart, and spirit be a blessing and inspiration to the many who suffer from inexplicable debilitating illnesses.”

—Judy Tsafrir, MD, Holistic Adult & Child Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst, Harvard Medical School

“An inspirational memoir of how a debilitating illness can be the doorway to a deeper healing than ever imagined. It is a story of healing trauma–traumatic loss, medical trauma, and childhood trauma. A courageous journey of breaking through constraints to build a life that is whole and free.”

—Jasmin Lee Cori, author of Healing from Trauma: A Survivor’s Guide to Understanding Your Symptoms and Reclaiming Your Life 

“Sue Wang has given us a vital memoir of heartbreaking emotional intensity and profound psychological insight. Complex family history, the death of a newborn, illness and healing are stunningly interwoven in MESSAGES from the Black Recliner, with universal applications for anyone who wants to grow and deepen.”

—Gail D. Storey, author of I Promise Not to Suffer: A Fool for Love Hikes the Pacific Crest Trail 

“MESSAGES from the Black Recliner is an enlightening stroll through the struggles of chemical sensitivity. This book delves into the body, mind, heart, and soul of painful life experiences and healing from them. Having struggled with chemical sensitivity myself; Sue’s words offer hope and encouragement. If you walk with Sue on this journey you will discover broken pieces of yourself, pieces wanting to be re-united with the whole… You!”

—Paula Youmell, RN, Wise Woman Nurse & Author

“MESSAGES from The Black Recliner is Sue Wang’s gripping memoir that chronicles her journey of nursing her body to health from debilitating chemical sensitivity after discovering that years of unaddressed emotional scars culminated into physical illnesses. The book highlighted how the power of mind-body connection affected many facets of our lives.”

—Amy Law, MD, Hematology-Oncology

“Sue’s memoir breaks the stigma of mental health in Asian and Asian American communities. She courageously documents her struggle and recovery from her childhood trauma and the loss of a child. For many women of Asian descent, self-care is a foreign concept. I hope Sue’s story will inspire them to take steps to ensure their emotional and physical well-being.”

—Karen Shih, PhD, Assistant Dean of Intercultural Education and Advisor to Students of Asian Descent, Wellesley College


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