Eternal Bonds of Love: A young man's afterlife memoir

Since I had just recently lost my parents, I thought this book might be a good way to help me deal with the loss. I did not read it cover to cover, but in parts, and I did find it to be an interesting way to perceive the death of someone close to you. I still have not experienced anything like the parents of the boy did, but I am appreciative knowing it is possible on some level.

I highly recommend this book for anyone grieving or bereaved, anyone terminally ill, or anyone who just wants to know more about life after death. It is thoroughly ecumenical and would make a suitable gift for anyone, regardless of religious persuasion. A truly remarkable book. I only wish it was available in Large Print and on CD. I'm trying to find hardcover copies (they're on backorder) for my local library. This is a very important book to have on your family bookshelf.

No, this does not mean that I doubt the narrative. What is does mean is that I am taking a long look at this book which was written with LOVE - the love of THREE people - Mother, Father and Son -- , and reading it very closely because it resonates witha number of my own beliefs -- 1- The belief in a world where we see, "through a glass darkly" -- a physical world populated with so much more than the materialistic or the visible 2- the belief that we DO create our reality with our thought processes, and 3- the knowledge of my own dreams and "visitations" from my deceased mother (the dreams began 6 months after she died, dreams that are chronicled on my web site). In one instance -- where I dreamed that Mom had come back from the dead and was enrolled in a school -- a school which was also a hospital -- I saw a Nurse in that dream - a beautiful stone school with huge clear windows and groups of students climbing the (grassy!) indoor stone steps in peaceful silence -- I was awed to find Ricardo's mention of schools, hospitals, and learning experiences in this book. So who is to really say what happens after we die? Perhaps it is an experience tailored specifically for each individual, a Great Plan out there that takes into account the individuality of the person and that person's needs?? Everything I read had an aura of love around it -- of acceptance, of Being . In reading this book I was struck by the tremendous Peace I felt while reading the prose and the poetry. It is a kindly peace, not an overwhelming one -- let's say it was the peace that one sometimes feels while sitting in a favorite chair at twilight and knowing that all of nature outside the window is feeling the same contentment. I speak very kindly when I say I do not really know what to make of this book -- I cannot compartmentalize it -- I cannot quantify it -- it stands on its own uniqueness, and it is a sweet testament to and of love -- love that never dies.

As a psychologist, I would recommend this book to all families, mainly because it brings a new perspective on family ties that transcends the narrow-minded, one-life goal. Drs. Petrillo and Knoploch, well-established physicians, shared their phenomenal discovery that life goes on. With that, they re-established their relationship with their deceased son. What a phenomenal inner healing experience! Most certainly, this book kindly invites the reader to a heartfelt journey that shall trigger a cascade of profound changes in our view of parenting, family, and life as a whole.

I applaud Dr. Petrillo and Dr. Knoploch for their profound courage in sharing this amazing intimate story with the world! The book brings light to the end of our limited tunnel vision when it comes to dealing with the subject of "death". Life goes on and what a blessing to have a departed loved one to be able to transmit thoughts and ideas comforting and illuminating those who have stayed behind! It is clear that Ricardo's thoughts are different from that of his father's - Dr. Petrillo does not write poems! Dr. Petrillo is indeed a dedicated father serving as a humble instrument while confronted with such blessing! How many of us would like to receive messages from family members who have passed on? Some of us may even feel their presence around us, but how to bring about the courage to recognize it and accept similar blessed opportunity? Dr. Petrillo's unconditional love for his son transcends, hence trusting his most intimate ability to receive messages from his departed son without the interference of his own thoughts and ideals revealed in this amazing work between the two dimensions! "Eternal Bonds of Love" will most certainly touch the hearts of many parents who have lost their children, as well as, the hearts of those who have lost loved ones. It attests that life continuous on and that co-existing with the spiritual dimension is not something we just read in books. Iit shares a true story of a blessed tangible reality - a state of awareness among mankind that is becoming more and more prominent in the new millennium.