In the Shadow of Silence

Eva’s lonely childhood has given her an intuitive connection with kids and teenagers. She is a gifted child psychiatrist. Single, she dreams of having her own children, and she yearns for love. The future seems bright when she meets Lyman; They build a family. They share adventures. They meet life’s challenges as team. They navigate a bout of Lyman’s depression; treatment works. They share rich, fulfilling years while their careers develop, and their children grow up. When their sons enter adulthood and their daughter is a teenager, they plan an entire summer as a family. But Lyman abruptly stops both therapy and medication. He spirals into a dark and irritable isolation that none of them can penetrate. After his brutal suicide, Eva is left to cope and to guide her children through the trauma, as they each rebuild their lives.

Author Biography

Raymonde Dumont, MD, LMFT, is both a pediatrician and a family therapist. She practiced and taught for several years at Harvard Medical School, and at the Joslin Diabetes Center. She focused on the impact of one person’s illness through their entire family, and also on the impact of mental health and family function on medical outcomes. She is currently a family therapist in private practice. She helps families to navigate difficulties by collaborating, rather than becoming divided. She is also a mother, a widow, and a friend to many. She lives and practices in Montclair, New Jersey, within reach of New York City.