Donna Morrissey and her four siblings were reminiscing over drinks one evening when she had an epiphany. Growing up in Newfoundland, Morrissey and her sisters predominantly spent time indoors with their mother, while her brothers engaged in outdoor activities with their father. This pattern persisted into adulthood, but during the storytelling session, as her brothers shared tales of their late father, Morrissey discovered a different side to him that she had not known before.
This revelation inspired Morrissey’s latest book, “Tell It to the Water: Five Siblings Tell of Their Father’s Grief and His Struggle Back to Hope.” While the book primarily delves into Morrissey’s father’s mourning after losing his wife to cancer, it also explores other tragic events, such as the death of Morrissey’s brother, Ford, in a workplace accident four decades ago.
Reflecting on the experience, Morrissey, who divides her time between Halifax and her home province, expressed the emotional impact of hearing her siblings’ untold stories. As a seasoned author of fictional works, delving into a memoir like this exposed her to raw emotions, evoking tears and vulnerability unlike her usual storytelling process.
The chapters of the book are narrated from the perspectives of Morrissey and her siblings, with each chapter explicitly stating the viewpoint it represents. Bringing these personal accounts to life involved numerous discussions among the siblings, with probing questions to capture the essence of their emotions during significant events, occasionally leading to brief tensions that were quickly resolved.
Despite their close bond, the book has further strengthened the connection between Morrissey and her siblings. She emphasized that the writing process not only provided closure but also highlighted ongoing impacts of their shared experiences, underscoring the evolving nature of their collective narrative.
Dr. Simon Sherry, a psychologist at Crux Psychology in Halifax, shed light on the psychology of grief, emphasizing the enduring emotional attachment people maintain with departed loved ones. He explained that while the physical loss is profound, individuals continue to nurture a dynamic relationship with the deceased, a concept he described as a “consolation prize.”
Morrissey aspires for her book to prompt readers to reflect on their own family dynamics, offering a blueprint for those seeking to document their family history. With time, she and her siblings have come to cherish one another more deeply, recognizing that their shared stories continue to shape their lives as they navigate the passage of time together.
