Standing on the Edge: Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide

by Jerome Stewart

Blessed with uncommon wit and natural good looks, armed with degrees from Brown and Duke, and engaged to a wealthy investor, Maysie Campbell seemed to have everything going for her. However, her outwardly faultless appearance and professional success masked deep inner turmoil. Her death by suicide in the summer of 2013 shattered peoples’ perceptions of her, and initiated a process of investigation and reflection by those who were close to her, including the author.


Standing on the Edge is an account of Maysie’s life—how people perceived her, and how she viewed herself. This book also traces the lives of three other people, all known to the author by some degree, who likewise died by suicide. These four souls are connected only through the similarity of their tragedies, yet their families and friends are permanently connected through their grief.


The stories gathered here depict the evolution of healing—individual and nonlinear processes that often carry unexpected outcomes and insights. An interpretation of spirituality, fueled by natural imagery—centered in Deer Isle, Maine, Orcas Island, Washington, and Placitas, New Mexico—helps call forth an enhanced awareness of the wealth encircling us all.


ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK—PRINT AND EBOOK EDITIONS—WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY.

Genres: Nonfiction

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2015

About the author

Jerome Stewart is a technologist, speech writer, photographer, gardener, and avid outdoor enthusiast. He lived overseas for six years, including two as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia. He invokes these experiences and his love of nature to guide his writing and daily existence. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jerome now lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Alice, and their two children, Charlie and Holland.