5 Star Rating: I was immediately drawn in to this well written from the heart story. Couldn't put it down ! Poignant, caring and a true journey through difficult and emotional waters. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Thank you for sharing such deep and lasting emotions ~ , Amazon

5 Star Rating: Having my own personal experience of adoption, this book really moved me and made me understand a perspective I hadn't considered before. It freed me from some of my own misconceptions and is a beautiful tale of how adoption impacts everyone's lives. It's also takes a broader look at cultural and societal issues regarding adoption, and what families and the state were willing to put women through in order to impose dubious moral codes. Recommended. ~ , Amazon

5 Star Rating: I read this book whilst enduring the beginnings of self isolation and it was such a good companion to me. It brought me to tears at times and sometimes made me laugh out loud. It is beautifully written and Sue gives us a real insight into the most painful of times. Having worked in social work it rang so true on many occasions and made me think long and hard about my work and how other people’s troubles have often helped me get a more realistic view of my own. Thank you Sue for sharing such poignant moments with us readers. ~ , Amazon

5 Star Rating: This is a really beautifully written, honest story told from the heart. Whilst the journey the Author takes you on is painful, it's yet a gripping read and something that strikes a deep chord within. We can all learn something from this book, spiritual guidance and a reminder that life is beautiful even in tragedy. I gained personally from reading this and would recommend it highly to anyone with a sense of their own soul. ~ , Amazon

5 Star Rating: This exquisitely written personal story of the pain, and consequences, of having to have her daughter adopted, took me on a profound journey of how women universally have been, and still are suffering, when babies and mothers are forced to part. I would recommend this book to all women (and men too), who want to understand and connect to this universal story and the global distress that it often creates. ~ Jane Hawkes, Amazon

5 Star Rating: I found it hard, at times, to read this brave, honest, and very real account of a challenging journey through life. In sharing this the author invites us to follow her, in stepping into an openness to the permanent invitation to look beyond our personal stories - to that most frightening of places, the unknown. Thank you Sue, for your courage and your gift. ~ , Amazon

5 Star Rating: I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It is written with passion and hope. The story is very moving and tells of the heartbreak of her daughters forced adoption in the 60s. I’ll give no more spoilers, but this book is definitely a page turner. ~ Fiona Sutherland, Amazon

This autobiography charts a tale of loss and trauma, and then redemption..............This account certainly demonstrates how convoluted the path towards healing from emotional trauma can be, but this is ultimately a story of hope. As an aside, this autobiography is also of historical interest - the early sixties still were not kind to young women who had the temerity to give birth out of wedlock. ~ Lynda Stevens (Reviewer) , NetGalley

This is a truly wonderful book. As I’ve been immersed in it I’ve had many emotional responses and some beautiful clarity. The sense that maybe our lives are all about letting go, and that our innate essence knows exactly what and how we need to relinquish our beliefs (unburden), to reconnect to our true self. This is a precious book. I will share it with my own children and friends. There is so much truth and wisdom for all of us. ~ Jane Cross, Psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer

I feel very lucky and privileged to read it …. I could not put it down…Sue's writing is totally gripping and so vivid and real. Congratulations on the quality of the writing. But oh my, what a story and how poignant it is…wow so agonising! ~ Carol Haywood, Psychotherapist

A Sense of Something Lost is an absolute must read! It’s extremely powerful, witty and at times so moving that I found it tough to go on but what an amazing story. We need to know these things, thank you Sue ~ Sally Barnes, Dog whisperer and animal psychologist

As a dear friend of Sue I found it hard, at times, to read her brave, honest, and very real account of a challenging journey through life. In sharing this she invites us to follow her, in stepping into an openness to the permanent invitation to look beyond our personal stories - to that most frightening of places, the unknown. Thank you Sue, for your courage and your gift. ~ Dr Franz Schembri Wismayer - Psychiatrist (NHS - retired)

This a wonderful book about a woman who is full of life, sensitivity, energy, and humour. In spite of all these she has to deal with one of the worst traumas in life: to be separated from her child. Sue Wells is brave enough to delve deep into her story and show us what happens after such a primary loss. She is one of the few women who is able to speak as a birth mother about the adoption and able to write about her experiences and feelings. Also, she sets forth despite all the fears, shame and the never-ending endeavours to find her true self and her child. It is a long, and painful journey full of yearning to understand and release the whole story and find new approaches to life. ~ Tünde Sárközi, Adoption counsellor, social worker, Budapest

From a male perspective, I found the memoir very enlightening. The lasting deep emotional scars, left by the trauma of having one's child 'wrenched' from her at birth, were vividly described. The on-going feelings of guilt, the daily reminders and questions posed by Sue's personal life and work, added to the insight of how this affected her. Sadly I will probably never be able fully appreciate that. ~ Tony Wells

So much more than a self-help guide for dealing with the ramifications of trauma in late teens, Sue Wells’s book delivers a whole life under scrutiny. Her life. With the whole gamut of experiences which we all share. Yes, it took her nearly a lifetime to be free from the prison of self. Perhaps you could save yourself years – save yourself some of the pitfalls by reading it now. Tenderly written and so personal you could reach out and hug her. ~ Kate McNab, actress, singer, teacher

This deeply moving personal story about the loss of a child through forced adoption and the echoes of this trauma through the writer‘s life makes powerful reading. At the same time it is a story with which most women can strongly identify. Sue articulates how it feels not to have a voice, to be held firmly in place by a narrative which denies self determination and self acceptance. Sue’s story is gripping. We are right with her through her struggle to free herself. It is written with humour and wisdom and spans the decades of her life and the globe. The emotional journey is extraordinary and her openness in articulating it impressive. ~ Caroline Mercier, Clinical psychologist

This is an interesting memoir. We can all feel trapped at times with something that happened that is out of our control. This is a way of finding freedom through the ancient eastern mysticism by what can never be lost. I loved the authors style in writing this book. There are some poignant topics and helpful information. I will read more from this author. I really enjoyed this book. ~ Louise Wilson (Reviewer), NetGalley

Part memoir, part reflection and rich with insights, Sue Wells’s deep ‘sense of something lost’ has driven a lifelong search for healing and self-acceptance. In 1964, aged 17 years, New Zealander Sue was forced to give up her newborn daughter for adoption. Haunted by grief and guilt, she spent years struggling to come to terms with her loss. Even her reunion with her daughter many years later was bittersweet, and there were more challenges to face. Sue tells the story of her journey with unfailing observation, honesty and humour. She weaves in reflections from her career in social work and her spiritual search, and generously shares what she has learned. There are gems of truth in her book for all of us, whatever the wounds we carry – and all are delivered with a sparkling storytelling touch. ~ Arpy Shively, creative non-fiction writer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. As a young teenager Sue Wells fell madly in love with her boyfriend and she becomes pregnant. The boyfriend is willing to support her, but her parents have a very different idea. They are adamant she cannot keep the baby., it would ruin the families reputation! One needs to keep in mind that this occurred in the 1960’s when sex before marriage was totally frowned upon. Her father contacted an old doctor friend and asked for assistance in finding her a place to live and have her baby far away.. she hated the family she lived with. Her own family discarded her and didn’t answer her letters. She lived for the loving letters her boyfriend wrote. When it was time to have her baby, the lady of the house left her at the hospital entrance. It was interesting to hear that the nurses were nice to her until they discovered she didn’t have a husband! The baby was taken at birth, but she managed to get a glimpse of her baby girl.......an image that would stay with her forever, as you will discover when you read this book. Extremely well written. A great non fiction that is well worth the read. ~ Margaret Wilkins (Reviewer) , NetGalley

Sue Wells has written a very compelling, painfully honest, and, at times, surprisingly hilarious inspirational memoir.. At the outset we witness her struggle in New Zealand as a young woman in the sixties, pregnant, unmarried and banished by her family, the baby like so many others, taken away at birth for adoption because the mothers were not married. She finally settles in the UK, becomes a family therapist and is forced to face her demons when working with a difficult family uncomfortably like her own. The reunion she craves for does not bring wholeness. This ultimately leads to a deep spiritual understanding and an acceptance of the life we are born to with its joys, heartbreaks and challenges. It is in this way that it speaks to us all. ~ Vaughn Malcolm, Teacher and mentor

A Sense of Something Lost is an affecting memoir of profound and painful grief. Although spiced with humour it is a story of a lifetime's unsettlement: it starts with how the author, as a teenager, loses her accidentally but lovingly conceived baby to a coerced adoption. That adoption was arranged with draconian authority by her own father and represented the largely unchallenged conventions of the 1960's. A Sense of Something Lost is the account of her subsequent decades of haunting - her often inseparable hurt, bewilderment, guilt, grief, rage....and how she finds some kind of peace and transcendence. This is, surely, a most personal struggle portrayed with raw candour. ~ Dr David Zigmond, GP, psychiatrist and author

Beautiful, moving and richly-observed memoir. The voice and the writing style is strong and despite being an intensely personal account, A Sense of Something Lost examines issues that affect us all, and it feels very well-realised. I was deeply moved by Sue Wells' experience, she has the ability to move the reader and the story is deeply upsetting at points. But, she has a lovely, light touch which gives the reader a chance to regroup after dealing with the traumatic events contained in the story. It was a pleasure to read. ~ Alison Taft, author and Creative Writing tutor

Beautifully written...extremely touching and interesting. ~ Lesley Pearse, international No.1 best selling author with over 10 million copies sold

A truly amazing journey which will resonate for many mothers and grandmothers struggling to make sense of historical loss and grief. A beautifully written remarkable story. I cried, I smiled, I felt exasperated with myself and ultimately there was a real sense of calm. Engaging and inspired. ~ Susie Essex, former Consultant family therapist NHS

A lifetime journey of the spirit told with warmth and honesty. This is powerful stuff, no doubt about it! ~ Angie Sage, international best selling author