‘You Cannot Cage the Wolf’ book signing Monday at Athol Library  

ATHOL — “You Cannot Cage the Wolf: A mother struggles with the suicide of her soldier son” by Cynthia Crosson of Petersham traces the author’s trajectory of grief and healing in the wake of the 2003 suicide of her soldier son, James Crosson Tower, according to the publisher, Haley’s.

Crosson will talk about You Cannot Cage the Wolf and autograph books for sale beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, in Athol Public Library; from 9 to 11 a.m. during the At Home Place event sponsored by The Brookfield Institute in the E2E Learning Center, Ware; and at 1:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 1, in the First Congregational Church, UCC, Whately.

In the years following her son’s death, Crosson developed programs that assign assistance dogs to military veterans who experience post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. You Cannot Cage the Wolf details Crosson’s work with dogs in what she describes as “healing with a cold nose.”

A licensed social worker and minister in the United Church of Christ, Crosson also wrote standard college textbooks about child trauma and child sexual abuse. She is professor emerita at Fitchburg State University.

“I wrote You Cannot Cage the Wolf in hopes of supporting and helping other parents who have lost children to suicide,” Crosson said.

“In the heartfelt and compelling ‘You Cannot Cage the Wolf,’ Cynthia Crosson faces the reality of her son’s suicide,” writes Robert Mayer, director of veterans’ services at Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner. “As she looks for answers to unanswerable questions, she observes, ‘Sometimes love just isn’t enough.”

Sharon Harmon of The Compassionate Friends, a worldwide organization for parents who have lost a child, writes, “The author explains how her faith, soul searching, and work with service dogs for assistance for veterans with PTSD brought hope to her life once again. A must read for parents who have lost a child and also veterans that need help.”

“You Cannot Cage the Wolf takes you on an insightful journey from despair to hope as the author struggles to comprehend her son’s suicide through the new-found commitment to help other veterans suffering with PTSD,” writes Sheila O’Brien, director of external relations, America’s VetDogs and president of Assistance Dogs International, North America.

As well as at the book-signing events listed here, You Cannot Cage the Wolf is available online; at the author’s website, cynthiacrosson.com, and from the publisher, Haley’s.