Brighton author Lara Rodwell launches first book following the loss of her father to bowel cancer.

A 23-year-old has released her first book following the loss of her father to bowel cancer.

Lara Rodwell, from Brighton, has launched From Prognosis to Peace: Navigating Grief Through Discovery, Gratitude and Healing, a memoir about Lara’s experience of death, loss and grief after her father died in 2020.

Lara said: “I know from first-hand experience that this is not easy. In fact, accepting that my dad was going to die was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done or will ever do.

“By the end of the book, I hope people will feel stronger, lighter, and more connected to themselves, their loved ones and the world around them.”

In March 2020, David Rodwell – Lara’s dad – was given a terminal prognosis after being diagnosed with bowel cancer and referred to St Barnabas house.

In the months leading up to her dad’s death, Lara said she didn’t want there to be a ‘single question she didn’t ask him, a meaningful memory they didn’t reminisce over, or anything about his life she didn’t know’.

She said: “The peace I felt once I could talk to him was an invaluable part of my healing journey.”

The pair worked on a journal, where they wrote about the relationship they shared, from poems to anecdotes and special memories, taking every chance she had to tell him how grateful she felt for everything he had given to her. The author hopes her memoir will impact many who are navigating the same grieving process with their loved one.

READ MORE:

Brighton-based dance company win national award

Four people taken to hospital after car falls 30 meters onto A27 near Brighton