Additional information
by Gordana Smith (Author)
FINALIST - 20th Annual National Indie Excellence(R) Awards
GOLD RECIPIENT - Mom's Choice Awards(R)
MEDALIST - 2026 FAPA President's Book Award
"It's an emotional and moving read that won't be forgotten." - Readers' Favorite
"A wrenching account... raw, courageous, and deeply moving." - Kirkus Reviews
Book of the Silenced is a powerful medical memoir and spiritual testimony that exposes what happens when a family enters a healthcare system that cannot-or will not-listen. Written by Dr. Gordana Smith, DAOM, a holistic primary care physician and founder of Phoenix Rises Acupuncture, this book brings rare, authentic authority rooted equally in elite clinical practice, lived trauma, and rigorous moral inquiry.
Told with emotional intensity and literary depth, this unforgettable story follows a mother, a war survivor turned healer, and her extraordinary son, Mikey, whose life begins as a miracle and becomes a battle for survival. From the bomb shelters of war-torn Bosnia to the promise of safety in the United States, their journey unfolds across continents, cultures, and crises. What begins as a minor incident and a mysterious infection evolves into a devastating health crisis, forcing the family into a relentless search for answers in a system driven more by protocols than by compassion.
As symptoms escalate and diagnoses fail, the family confronts disbelief, institutional resistance, and the quiet violence of being dismissed. Yet amid suffering, the story reveals fierce parental advocacy, unwavering faith, and the resilience required to fight for truth when silence is demanded. Through hospital rooms, legal battles, and long nights of uncertainty, Book of the Silenced bears witness to the human cost of medical blind spots and the courage required to challenge them.
More than a memoir, this book is a call to reform medicine's culture of treatment and to restore the humanity at the center of care. It speaks to patients, parents, clinicians, and anyone who has felt unheard in moments of vulnerability. At its heart, it is a story about love that refuses to surrender, faith that endures in darkness, and the power of one family's voice to break silence.
Raw, courageous, and deeply moving, Book of the Silenced reminds us that healing begins when someone is willing to see, to listen, and to speak-no matter the cost
