“And if there is one thing I know it’s that writing comes out of tension,
tension between what’s inside and what’s outside, surface tension…”
- Rachael Cuske
Image Courtesy of: Anne Nygård
Notes from the author
I touched death,
I saw death, I experienced death,
I returned
I have never been fearful of death. It is the dying, the suffering, the sloughing of the body, and the weakening of the mind that frightens me most. I have visited death’s doorstep. There, I was called by an energy that has no adequate descriptors in our limited language. The words bliss and beauty and warmth fall short. I was met by a highly energized, womb-like presence. Unconditional love and a transcendent sense of peace enveloped me. It was here, in this other world, that I found HOME.
— Sally Dukes
The elephant,
the remover of obstacles, the keeper of memories, stomps the path through the forest floor, so that others can find their way forth.
Image courtesy of: Murad Swaleh
Early Acclaims for drummer girl
CONNECTING WITH THE TRANSCENDENT
in life and death, the enormity and joining with all, words often fall short. Rarely does language convey this hugeness of existence. Sally Dukes’ breathtaking memoir excels at guiding us into the intersection, the infinite pinpoint of what it is to search and deepen into one’s life
Katherine C Woodhouse, MS, LICSW
HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL
This is not just a story you read - this hauntingly beautiful memoir is a journey you feel, drawing you into each moment as though you were walking beside the author herself. With raw honesty and lyrical grace, it illuminates the inseparable truths that where there is light, there is darkness, and where there is life, there is death. Powerful, moving, and unflinchingly real, Drummer Girl stretches our capacity to face mortality, suffering and mindfulness, while reminding us that there is only the present, there is only today, and this precious life cannot be taken for granted. It is a profound call to turn inward - showing us that while we seek answers in the world around us, the deepest truths can only be found within. A rare and unforgettable book that lingers in the heart long after the final page.
Jess Riehl | riehlconsulting.com
FINDING GRACE
Reading Drummer Girl is like sitting with a wise old friend who has walked through fire and found grace on the other side. Sally Dukes' story is raw, vulnerable, and ultimately infused with inspiration and hope—this book is a gift for anyone navigating trauma, loss, healing, and transformation.
Cheryl Contee | Co-Author of AI For Nonprofits
BEAUTIFULLY EVOKED
In the splendidly written, compelling drummer girl Life after Death - the story of a journey home we follow Sally Dukes as she travels across beautifully evoked realms, both inner and outer, on her pilgrimage to find healing. Using short sentences and evocative details, she writes of her quest to hold both mysteries in the palms of her hands - the often-brutal beauty of life on earth and the siren pull of peace she felt as she neared death as a very young child.
Katie Amatruda | PsyD, MFT, BCETS
HEART OF SURVIVAL
Drummer Girl is a deeply moving journey through loss, resilience, and the search for home. With raw honesty and lyrical storytelling, Sally brought me into the heart of survival — from the fragility of childhood to the complexities of love, death, and rebirth. It’s not just a read, but a meditation on what it means to live fully in the face of uncertainty. A beautifully written story that stays with you long after the last page.
Josh Trevorrow | Founder, Purvida.co.uk
UNIVERSALLY RESONANT
Sally Dukes’ Drummer Girl is an intimate, layered narrative that blends memoir, metaphor, and myth to trace the arc of a life shaped by trauma and transformed through spiritual seeking. At once deeply personal and universally resonant, this book explores what it means to survive—and ultimately transcend—the limits of the body and psyche.
Xav Dubois | Founder, Kenwood Solutions Group
LIVING PROOF
Peaceful. Poetic. Rhythmic. The Drummer Girl and her arresting journey stand as living proof, affirming that life and death are one, the light abides and home is yours. As you read, your heart will mend.
Ushi Patel | CEO, Ushi Ink, | Designer of the Seeing Me Method.
A HOMECOMIING
Sally Dukes' memoir is an evocative description of her early childhood trauma and her lifelong search to find and give value to its gift, the author's great "knowing.” Through her inner and outer travels, and especially her great ability to communicate her sensory memories, we, who have not come close to near-death begin to experience the shimmering and pulsating truth of her "homecoming," a homecoming that brings the willing reader along. For her skillful writing, her courage and persistence, we can be grateful.
Sarah S Sugatt, LICSW
