Born of light that refused to go out — even when everything else did.
You’ve known the ache of endurance,
the quiet rebuilding after every fall.
This is a story of what remains luminous —
when the fire has taken almost everything.
The expression of words will catch your breath
Such a beautifully written book. I could feel the many lives, lessons, and stories woven into every page. The author’s writing feels poetic and deeply human. I found myself lingering over certain pages/sentences simply because of how powerful they felt. Each chapter felt meaningful and left me wanting more. Truly amazing.
A book that stays with you long after you finish.
~ Chelle B
Written by love encouraging love from the heart of being
What an amazingly well written incredible book with so many nuggets of emotions. A terrific read, one so capturing the moment of every page, every word in the present. Highly recommend this to be enjoyed, read and re read as so many insights shared by Jean sharing here knowledge, wisdom and heart. A perfect read.
~Martin Gillespie
“I didn’t set out to write a book about myself. I set out to make sense of the life I’ve lived.”
Rare, Whole, and Held: When Light Survives the Fire is a lyrical, deeply personal memoir about living through what should have finished you — and choosing presence anyway.
Jean Hamilton-Fford shares her story in three movements — Rare, Whole, and Held — weaving together childhood sensitivity, neurodivergence, music, chronic health, love, caregiving, and the quiet art of enoughness. This is a life told from the middle, not from the mountaintop.
Inside, you’ll find:
• stories of early brilliance and deep misunderstanding
• the body as oracle — illness, limitation, and listening
• love as apprenticeship, especially through caregiving
• the turn from striving to sufficiency
• a gentle closing section, “Being Held,” to land the journey
• and a 25-question author Q&A that brings you closer to the writer behind the words
This book is for the tender-hearted, the sensitives, the ones who have carried more than most and are finally ready to rest in their own light.
If you’ve ever thought, “I am many and I am one,” this book will meet you where you are.
A small book that contains entire worlds
With grace and courage, the author shares her own experiences — and gives voice to what others may feel but cannot yet express, though they recognize it within themselves. Her writing moves like music, exploring the healing and regenerative vibrations of sound, language, and silence.
Touching and heartfelt, she draws the reader in — sharing understanding and compassion, and inviting reflection. Through her words, we hear something universal: a quiet truth that lingers long after the final page.
~ Roselyn Hamilton