Hand On Your Back
releasing autumn 2026
HAND ON YOUR BACK
Dr. Steve Springer’s daughter Zoe died of cancer at twenty. He began to journal his thoughts as a way to process what he was thinking and feeling after her death. Twenty years later, this book is the result.
The intention is to offer you “a resting place in the cemetery of your own heart that tries to make sense of the unreality of it all.”
Part poetry, part memoir, part journal, part support-group-on-a-page, may this book offer some solace to the people who ‘never wanted to be a member of this club.’
Releasing autumn 2026
Will be available on this website, and via Amazon, Ingram Spark, and select bookstores and public library locations in Canada.
"This book is a 'must read' for anyone who has buried a child and suffers with their grief. Dr. Springer opens his heart and bares his soul as he takes us through his painful journey of grief while watching his beloved daughter Zoe bravely fight, but lose her battle with cancer."
"Through reading your book, I can safely say that I am not going crazy. I feel that you and I will be joined forever in some way with our grief. You have taught me that it’s ok to cry and to be angry. It’s not crazy to talk to your child’s picture, or to go to bed holding your child’s picture. It’s normal. We are grieving. I too, don’t want to forget my son. I don’t want him to be forgotten by others either."
"I’ve been a therapist for almost 40 years. This book taught me so many things about loss and grieving. It’s a deeply personal tribute to a loved daughter and sibling and also a remarkable resource for other families who are grieving, for therapists and for anyone who has lost someone they love.
Mixing poetry with stories that have stayed with me since I read the book, Stephen presents a powerful portrayal of a family who has deeply loved and lost a child and sibling and must now find ways to continue to live themselves. Their story puts to rest the idea that you 'get over’ losing loved ones while offering hope that you will eventually find ways to move forward, despite or alongside the loss."
A clinical psychologist and family therapist, in his fifty years of practice Dr. Springer has helped many children, young adults and families navigate life’s choppy waters with optimism, compassion and a sense of humour. A much sought- after consultant on family, school, ADHD, and deafness issues, he maintains a private practice in Toronto. Steve is the author of a number of professional papers, as well as four previous children and young adult works of fiction: Zig Zag Zale; Mazie and the Moon; Izaiah: Why Do Bagels Have Holes; and, most recently, The Propeller: A White Mountain Mystery. Steve is an avid guitarist, an experienced hiker, and a bereaved father.
