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Edna's Gift: How My Broken Sister Taught Me to Be Whole
When they were young, Susan and Edna, children of Holocaust refugee parents, were inseparable; Edna was Susan’s first love and constant companion. But as they grew up and Edna’s physical, and mental challenges altered the ways she could develop, a gulf formed between them. Susan’s life became even more complicated when, just short of her sixteenth birthday, she learned that she’d been born without a uterus and would never menstruate or give birth to children. As she coped with this trauma, Edna continued loving her unconditionally, as she always had.
In her adult years Edna lived a life of dignity in a spiritual community, becoming a model for how Susan could live hers. In her forties, Susan realized her dream of motherhood when she adopted a daughter. Throughout, Edna remained a teacher and loving presence in her sister’s life.
Encompassing Susan and Edna’s lifelong, complex, intertwining relationship, Edna’s Gift has a powerful life may be unpredictable, even traumatic—but if you remain open, strength and wisdom will come to you from surprising and unexpected sources.
In her adult years Edna lived a life of dignity in a spiritual community, becoming a model for how Susan could live hers. In her forties, Susan realized her dream of motherhood when she adopted a daughter. Throughout, Edna remained a teacher and loving presence in her sister’s life.
Encompassing Susan and Edna’s lifelong, complex, intertwining relationship, Edna’s Gift has a powerful life may be unpredictable, even traumatic—but if you remain open, strength and wisdom will come to you from surprising and unexpected sources.
- GenresMemoir
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2019
4 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 14, 2018
I was incredibly honored to be an early reader for this gorgeous memoir. I received an advance copy from the author. Edna's gift is the story of Susan's life and how her relationship with her mentally handicapped sister, Edna, changed her view of the world. It is a beautifully written love letter from Susan to her sister. I felt grateful to be given a window into their tender and lasting sibling relationship. When Susan learns as teenager that she was born without a uterus, her first instinct is to feel sorry for herself which she does for many years. But as time passes she eventually allows herself to learn from Edna's example. Edna teaches her to see the glass as half full, no matter how dire the circumstance. Edna is a wonderful character. Despite her challenges, she is positive, joyful and determined. Rudnick's writing is heartfelt, truthful and emotional. She doesn't shy away from revealing all of her faults and misgivings, making the story exquisitely genuine and meaningful. This story will stay with me for a long time. Definitely put this one on your list!
April 2, 2019
Susan Rudnick very movingly illustrates the differences that stretched the affectionate bonds of her sibling relationship in a myriad of social and physical ways. As Edna emerges here, seemingly born in an enlightened state of unconditional acceptance, her open-hearted ways become the very example Susan needed. Susan Rudnick’s touching and humor-filled stories transcend her own late-diagnosed disability, relational and physical trials, and tribulations. With thanks to Edna, the story of Susan’s emergent compassion is Edna’s and Susan’s gift to us. I recommend this book to anyone who has experienced or is still coming to grips with the pain that comes with loss and the gift of accepting one’s own and each other’s human vulnerability.
April 1, 2019
Susan’s heartfelt memoir moved me deeply. Sibling relationships are powerful, and not written about often enough. This is the story of Susan's lifelong relationship with her mentally challenged sister. I wish this story had been shared years ago because it would have helped me to better appreciate the gifts my late brother offered me, had I been more open to seeing them. Susan’s honesty about her conflicts has inspired me to face my own. I recommend her memoir without reservation.
March 17, 2019
An extremely emotional true story of 2 sisters one who is handicapped who were children of holocaust refugees. This book was to me so very sad ,honest and truly came from the authors heart. It's a true heart warming book that made me realize how much we take for granted. I Thank you Susan for sharing your story with us all!!! 5star 🌟 book ! Thank you Net Galley for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 4, 2020
Human life is precious and sacred, and the story of Edna is a testament to this.
Reading this book will make you wish you could have known Edna, and maybe been her friend, or at least part of her life in some way.
The world desperately needs more stories like this. Edna's disabilities evidently were the sort that would not have been detected in utero. There isn't a lot written about what happened to her during her birth which evidently caused her mental/developmental problems, but it sounded a lot like what happened with Rosemary Kennedy (another fascinating story).
The moral of this story is not how Edna came to be afflicted with her disability. It is this: all life is precious. Every human was created for a reason. If Edna was conceived today and her mental/developmental "deficits" were detectable in the womb, many women would choose to abort rather than to give birth to her. And if you read this book you will understand that her family, friends, and the world would have missed the opportunity of knowing a lovely, very special person.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I would have liked a lot more about Edna and a lot less about Susan. The parts about Susan usually made me cringe. But I know some of that was necessary for context. It's a short, easy, lovely book. The story of Edna feels like it will stick with me, and like I truly wish I could have known her. It's so important to remember that none of us are perfect, but we are all equally important and should be loved and valued the same. To me, this is what equality is all about. ❤❤
Thank you, Susan Rudnick, for sharing the story of Edna with me and the world.
Highly recommended.
Reading this book will make you wish you could have known Edna, and maybe been her friend, or at least part of her life in some way.
The world desperately needs more stories like this. Edna's disabilities evidently were the sort that would not have been detected in utero. There isn't a lot written about what happened to her during her birth which evidently caused her mental/developmental problems, but it sounded a lot like what happened with Rosemary Kennedy (another fascinating story).
The moral of this story is not how Edna came to be afflicted with her disability. It is this: all life is precious. Every human was created for a reason. If Edna was conceived today and her mental/developmental "deficits" were detectable in the womb, many women would choose to abort rather than to give birth to her. And if you read this book you will understand that her family, friends, and the world would have missed the opportunity of knowing a lovely, very special person.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I would have liked a lot more about Edna and a lot less about Susan. The parts about Susan usually made me cringe. But I know some of that was necessary for context. It's a short, easy, lovely book. The story of Edna feels like it will stick with me, and like I truly wish I could have known her. It's so important to remember that none of us are perfect, but we are all equally important and should be loved and valued the same. To me, this is what equality is all about. ❤❤
Thank you, Susan Rudnick, for sharing the story of Edna with me and the world.
Highly recommended.
April 1, 2019
In Edna’s Gift, Susan Rudnick seamlessly articulates her emotional and psychological journey of growing up with, and later caring for, her mentally disabled sister, Edna. As a young child and teenager, she became Edna’s caregiver. She tells of her resentment and embarrassment with candor and takes the reader with her as she begins to recognize the unique value her sister offers. The author’s masterful writing allows the reader to learn from Edna, who unencumbered by ego or ambition, teaches the art of living meaningfully. In writing of remarkable honesty, we read about the author’s own rare physical impairment. Her insights on this offer a special poignancy as she learns to accept her condition. I found myself eager to begin each new chapter, and, as is true of books that immerse the reader in another world, I felt loss and disappointment when I read the final page.
Thanks to Susan Rudnick for providing me with an early copy of this book.
Thanks to Susan Rudnick for providing me with an early copy of this book.
April 3, 2019
Edna’s Gift does what the best memoirs do: it offers not just a story but a life. Susan’s relationship with Edna provides a shape for the journey, but in the end this writing captures and then transcends the sibling relationship, the struggle to deal with a special needs family member and the pressures of the time on women to become a universal story of curiosity, disappointment and the possibilities of thriving within love. Susan Rudnick finds the perfect precise detail over and over, bringing us again and again to the small, devastating moments that together make up the accumulated lessons of a life. Edna’s Gift’s careful pacing and deep belief in the power of storytelling give the reader the sense that each word has been mined and considered; the result is a slim volume heavy with meaning and filled with moments of wisdom and delight. This book itself is a gift.
August 28, 2019
The author's relationship with her developmentally disabled sister was touching. I was a little shocked at her diagnosis as a teen, didn't expect that and was impressed that she handled it as well as she did. I think the baggage of her parents escaping the Holocaust, having Edna as a sister (as much as she loved her, it was still a burden at times) and the medical problem led to a lot of her problems as an adult. It sounds like she has a good life now and I am glad that she shared her story.
July 6, 2019
Susan Rudnick's honesty about her feelings and challenges with the relationship she shares with her sister is heartwarming. The two sisters travel very different paths, while keeping the strong bond rooted in their childhood.
This beautiful memoir is an inspiring lesson on unconditional love and acceptance.
This beautiful memoir is an inspiring lesson on unconditional love and acceptance.
June 5, 2019
This is a very moving memoir of The intertwining paths of two sisters highlighting the remarkable wisdom of the more visibly “disabled” sister, and the ability of the writer-sister to take it in, on her own journey to self-acceptance and spiritual acceptance. Profoundly as well as very accessibly written, I finished it in one sitting with a deep feeling of getting to know Edna. This is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read, deeply feeling and honest without sentimentality
May 28, 2019
Moving memoir about two sisters--both of whom are struggling with a loss--connect and remain whole.
When they were young, Susan and Edna, were inseparable. Growing up in the 1950s-1960s New York, they were the children of Nazi refugee parents, and became one another's first friend. Fiercely dedicated and loyal, they protected one another. Both girls were operating on some sort of deficit--that is, Susan had no uterus (though she didn't know this until she was nearly 16) and Edna struggled with physical and mental challenges.
When Edna is sent to live at a community for other like-minded individuals, Susan began grappling with the fact that she would never menstruate, never give birth. Yet, through their intertwining relationship, Edna became Susan's biggest advocate, her best teacher --reminding her sister, that if you just remain open to opportunities, strength, joy, and wisdom just might be the end result. EDNA'S GIFT (She Writes Press, June 4 2019) is about living a life without regrets.
A touching, profound memoir about the affectionate bond of sisters, but also about dealing with challenges --those one could never predict. There are /b> failed relationships, adoption, self-acceptance, death and loss, and unconditional love. Susan's writing style is on-point and at times, I found it hard to set down. I was absolutely intrigued with her condition--MRKH--in which a woman is born without a uterus, something that happens to 1 of 4,000. I did want to know more about that--it's not all covered in the book, but that might not have been the aim. EDNA'S GIFT is honest, insightful, and deeply moving.
I found some similarities between this and Lanette Cornell Bloom's book, MEMORIES IN DRAGONFLIES and also some cross-over with the times and topics presented in CALL THE MIDWIFE.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com| Always with a Book
Special thanks to SheWrites Press and Caitlin Hamilon Marketing for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
When they were young, Susan and Edna, were inseparable. Growing up in the 1950s-1960s New York, they were the children of Nazi refugee parents, and became one another's first friend. Fiercely dedicated and loyal, they protected one another. Both girls were operating on some sort of deficit--that is, Susan had no uterus (though she didn't know this until she was nearly 16) and Edna struggled with physical and mental challenges.
When Edna is sent to live at a community for other like-minded individuals, Susan began grappling with the fact that she would never menstruate, never give birth. Yet, through their intertwining relationship, Edna became Susan's biggest advocate, her best teacher --reminding her sister, that if you just remain open to opportunities, strength, joy, and wisdom just might be the end result. EDNA'S GIFT (She Writes Press, June 4 2019) is about living a life without regrets.
A touching, profound memoir about the affectionate bond of sisters, but also about dealing with challenges --those one could never predict. There are /b> failed relationships, adoption, self-acceptance, death and loss, and unconditional love. Susan's writing style is on-point and at times, I found it hard to set down. I was absolutely intrigued with her condition--MRKH--in which a woman is born without a uterus, something that happens to 1 of 4,000. I did want to know more about that--it's not all covered in the book, but that might not have been the aim. EDNA'S GIFT is honest, insightful, and deeply moving.
I found some similarities between this and Lanette Cornell Bloom's book, MEMORIES IN DRAGONFLIES and also some cross-over with the times and topics presented in CALL THE MIDWIFE.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com| Always with a Book
Special thanks to SheWrites Press and Caitlin Hamilon Marketing for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
November 23, 2021
Thank you to Book Sparks, Susan Rudnick and Orange Sky Audio for providing me with an audiobook of "Edna's Gift."
Susan and Edna, children of Holocaust survivors, were inseparable as children. As they grew up, a shift started to form between them. The family learned that Edna had some physical and mental challenges, which changed the way she developed and grew older. Later on, Susan learned that she was born without a uterus and would never be able to have children. As a young girl, Susan didn't know how to handle either of these things. She had to deal with multiple forms of trauma. As Susan and Edna continued to grow older, Edna ended up becoming an example for Susan to follow.
The story of these two sisters is wildly complex, but their relationship was full of love, hope and gratitude. As Susan tells her story from her perspective, you can see the personal growth and the wisdom she gained throughout her life and how it affected her choices.
Susan and Edna, children of Holocaust survivors, were inseparable as children. As they grew up, a shift started to form between them. The family learned that Edna had some physical and mental challenges, which changed the way she developed and grew older. Later on, Susan learned that she was born without a uterus and would never be able to have children. As a young girl, Susan didn't know how to handle either of these things. She had to deal with multiple forms of trauma. As Susan and Edna continued to grow older, Edna ended up becoming an example for Susan to follow.
The story of these two sisters is wildly complex, but their relationship was full of love, hope and gratitude. As Susan tells her story from her perspective, you can see the personal growth and the wisdom she gained throughout her life and how it affected her choices.
August 17, 2019
Susan Rudnick, psychotherapist and author is a beautiful writer. Edna's Gift is a brave book about personal growth that will have a message for you no matter who you are and what your personal challenges are. Susan begins life with a beloved younger sister she adores. Her story about learning to accept Edna’s developmental handicaps is just the beginning of her own personal transformation. She is honest about the shame she felt as a child, and how facing her shame and the stigma of difference was a gift that enabled her to face and cope with her own personal challenges. You will finish this book in an afternoon, it's compelling!
January 15, 2020
Edna's Gift How My Broken Sister Taught Me To Be Whole begins to tag into a very neglected area of fiction, non fiction, psychotherapy and general family awareness, that of siblings, particularly sisters and even more specifically, sisters who have disabilities.
Through the book we learn of Edna's disabilities and how Susan leans into and against the sister who is so different, but somehow so whole. It is only in the end we learn of the similarities between the two women, bonded through lineage. An absorbing read.
Through the book we learn of Edna's disabilities and how Susan leans into and against the sister who is so different, but somehow so whole. It is only in the end we learn of the similarities between the two women, bonded through lineage. An absorbing read.
November 17, 2021
𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺!
What an honor to be a part of this tour, Edna’s gift is a story that will stay with me for a long time, it was moving, powerful, raw, heartbreaking and simply extraordinary. Another great recommendation for #nonfictionnovember.
Thank you BookSparks and OrangeSky Audio by Findaway for this gifted copy.
Ednas’s Gift audiobook by #SusanRudnick released November 2, 2021.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
What an honor to be a part of this tour, Edna’s gift is a story that will stay with me for a long time, it was moving, powerful, raw, heartbreaking and simply extraordinary. Another great recommendation for #nonfictionnovember.
Thank you BookSparks and OrangeSky Audio by Findaway for this gifted copy.
Ednas’s Gift audiobook by #SusanRudnick released November 2, 2021.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
June 20, 2019
I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book and loved every page. These sisters, despite their differences, had a bond that could not be broken. As a mother of an adult daughter with developmental disabilities, I admired so many things about the way the parents (and the author) handled this young woman's independence. Edna's gift is an honest, unwavering love story between two sisters and I enjoyed it immensely.
June 6, 2019
This was such an inspirational book! The author's unconditional love and support of her sister is admirable. This book is one that anyone that is struggling should read, as it provides hope for those that think their situation is hopeless. Despite not having an uterus, Edna was able to become a mother via adoption, so this book is great for those struggling with starting a family.
July 5, 2019
What a graceful, honest look at sister love, families, and self love. Edna is born with developmental disabilities. Nevertheless she is a source of strength for Susan, the "normal" older sibling who has a hidden disability. I couldn't put down this lovely, authentic book about what it means to be alive.
September 23, 2019
EDNA’S GIFT is a heart wrenching memoir of two sisters, one with severe mental and physical impairments. This is quite an emotional telling that has the reader counting her blessings to see the gifts we were granted. Recommended.
September 21, 2023
A captivating story of the relationship between the author and her developmentally disabled sister. Rudnick’s honesty and openness is refreshing. Her introspection into the way her sister’s disposition and spirit helped Rudnick conquer her own personal struggles is powerful. Rudnick brings to light the reality that even those with disabilities have much to offer.
August 10, 2025
This is so beautifully written. The journey was so easy, heartfelt, and human that I didn't want to put it down.
December 7, 2025
"And though our paths would diverge, her accepting heart would live on in me, a source of comfort and strength when all else failed." ❤️🩹
January 13, 2021
Wow, another great memoir that caught me by surprise. As emotional as this book was, it always made me feel happy. Susan's writing flows, and her compassion and empathy shine throughout. Many lessons to be learned. Truth be told, Edna has made me a better person today too.
October 10, 2019
Susan's Rudnick's debut autobiography was filled with heartache, inspiration, and love between two sisters who fight through individual disabilities that in this book becomes a strength for author, "Susie" as her sister Edna called her.
Even though we never really know what Edna's disability is, we know that Edna is filled with a heart bigger than most in the world. Her understanding of others and her ability to communicate through limited words does not stop her communication through her service and actions. Edna is a beautiful soul.
A reader will appreciate the openness of Susan's story which felt more like a journal of personal struggle, success and doubt-filled years of who she is and how she is seen. It is always reaffirming to the reader to know that other people struggle daily just like they do. People who we see as having it all put together as I do in Susan Rudnick. This book helps you appreciate other's lives, other's struggles, and other's success in finally realizing that what helps us become whole is the love, interaction, and service between people.
Susan's struggle with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome, "a congenital disorder of the female reproductive system. Girls with MRKH have normal ovaries and fallopian tubes, an absent or incomplete vagina, no cervix and either an underdeveloped uterus (uterine remnant) or no uterus at all." is the most heartbreaking of all when she finds out she will never be able to give birth to her own child. Susan is haunted for decades of not realizing her dream of motherhood. However, she is finally able to overcome her self doubt, and fulfill her dream through adoption and finally finding the right man to have a child with- her daughter, Rebecca.
The ending is horrific, heartbreaking and just well, sad. I am in awe of the lessons that Susan learns from Edna's death and the perspective she gives her readers on each second of her heartache. Susan Rudnick, in my opinion, is one strong woman.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars for inspiration and forthrightness.
Thanks to She Writes Press for the opportunity to read this autobiography in lieu of my honest review.
Even though we never really know what Edna's disability is, we know that Edna is filled with a heart bigger than most in the world. Her understanding of others and her ability to communicate through limited words does not stop her communication through her service and actions. Edna is a beautiful soul.
A reader will appreciate the openness of Susan's story which felt more like a journal of personal struggle, success and doubt-filled years of who she is and how she is seen. It is always reaffirming to the reader to know that other people struggle daily just like they do. People who we see as having it all put together as I do in Susan Rudnick. This book helps you appreciate other's lives, other's struggles, and other's success in finally realizing that what helps us become whole is the love, interaction, and service between people.
Susan's struggle with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome, "a congenital disorder of the female reproductive system. Girls with MRKH have normal ovaries and fallopian tubes, an absent or incomplete vagina, no cervix and either an underdeveloped uterus (uterine remnant) or no uterus at all." is the most heartbreaking of all when she finds out she will never be able to give birth to her own child. Susan is haunted for decades of not realizing her dream of motherhood. However, she is finally able to overcome her self doubt, and fulfill her dream through adoption and finally finding the right man to have a child with- her daughter, Rebecca.
The ending is horrific, heartbreaking and just well, sad. I am in awe of the lessons that Susan learns from Edna's death and the perspective she gives her readers on each second of her heartache. Susan Rudnick, in my opinion, is one strong woman.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars for inspiration and forthrightness.
Thanks to She Writes Press for the opportunity to read this autobiography in lieu of my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews