The Possibility of Everything, by Hope Edelman (2009)

Hope Edelman's true story of dealing with her young daughter Maya's imaginary friend will, I believe, capture the interest of a wide range of readers. This is due to the fact that Hope's journey covers a wide range of solutions that she was willing to follow to try and help her daughter.

As Hope discovers, it's not that unusual for three year olds to develop imaginary friends. However, when these imaginary friends cause the child to hit other people, to scream uncontrollably, or to have night terrors, the aberrant behaviour can become a nightmare for the entire family.

Hope is willing to reach out to professionals for help. She talks to Maya's preschool teacher, to doctors, to friends, to psychologists. When conventional wisdom fails to bring resolution to the family, she begins to consider alternatives beyond her own comfort zone. Her daughter's nanny suggests a more radical solution: perform a native Nicaraguan healing ritual to rid Maya of this unwanted companion. Hope is very suprised when the ritual actually brings relief and the imaginary friend disappears for a few days. When the imaginary friend, or evil spirit, comes back, Hope must decide how best to help her daughter.

Could her daughter actually be in contact with an evil spirit? Would a native healer, or shaman, be of help? When Hope and her husband plan a Christmas trip to the jungles of Belize, the opportunity to meet such healers comes their way. Will Hope be able to overcome her skepticism and reach out for help?

Read this memoir and travel with Hope and her family as they struggle to deal with this frightening phenomenon that has taken over their daughter's personality and the family's peace of mind.