Marti Wells-Smith is not a stranger to pain and loss.

Her only child died an unexpected death in 2019.

A Fort Scottian for 18 years,  Wells-Smith has written a book that relays her innermost thoughts and emotions concerning her son’s death.

She hopes it will help someone else with loss.

“Lamentations of the Heart – Mingled with Peace and Joy, was recently published through MSI Press, and soulfully combines contemporary poetry with nonfictional prose to reach out to others who have experienced similar pain and loss,” she said in a press release.

Written from a Christian perspective, it is a book that provides comfort and hope in the healing process, she said.

 The book has true stories of people she has met both in Fort Scott and in other communities where she grew up and lived.

Wells-smith has a bachelor of arts degree in English and sociology from Pittsburg State University and has worked as a writer and in varied positions in radio, authoring numerous human interest stories, articles, and poems over the years, she said.

She has also worked in social services, and served on a variety of boards, including Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation and Mother to Mother Ministries.

She assisted with crisis services, providing resources and support for individuals and families in need through Southeast Kansas Mental Health.

She continues to raise funds for Paws and Claws with a booth at the Treasure Hunt Flea Market in downtown Fort Scott.

The book is available locally and online.

Lamentations of the Heart is available at Hedgehog INK!, also in downtown Fort Scott, with a book signing to be announced in the near future.

The book is also available through MSI Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

The author can be reached at her website: martiwellssmith.com.

A poem from her book: