Dear James (eBook)
A mother's love does not end where a heartbeat stops. Janet Ropp's honest memoir of losing her son James to an overdose at nineteen, and of the slow, sacred work of learning to live again. Instant digital download (PDF).
On an ordinary October afternoon in 2018, Janet Ropp's world split into before and after. Her son James was gone, taken by an overdose at nineteen years old.
Dear James is Janet's unflinching account of the years that followed: the shattering, the searching, and the slow, sacred work of learning to live again. It doesn't offer easy comfort or tidy answers. It offers honesty.
Inside you'll find:
A raw, real-time account of the day addiction took her son, and the years of grief that followed
Her journey through codependency, twelve-step recovery spaces, and the particular grief of losing someone to overdose
A personal exploration of signs, spiritual connection, and staying bonded to someone who has crossed beyond the physical
"All That He Was," a loving tribute to who James truly was, beyond the addiction
A curated resource guide for grieving parents, families affected by addiction, and anyone searching for support after loss
For anyone who has lost a child, a sibling, or a piece of themselves to addiction, and anyone who has ever been told to "move on" before they were ready.
Format: Digital eBook (PDF) · Publisher: Writers of the West, July 2026
Prefer print? The paperback is available on Amazon.
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