'Everybody should write their own book' - Lorraine Downes on how writing helped her recover from Martin Crowe's death

April 23, 2018

Downes spoke with TVNZ1’s Breakfast about her rise to fame and the death husband Martin Crowe.

Former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes has spoken about the therapeutic power of putting words on the page following the publication of her book detailing life with late husband Martin Crowe.

Downes book Life, Loss, Love marks the first time she has commented publicly on the her relationship with the legendary New Zealand cricketer since his death in 2016.

"Everybody should write their own book because it is wonderfully healing," Downes said.

"For me, when I wrote the book I realised I have had so much happen to me in my life, and there have been some wonderful things, and I'm going to have more wonderful things happen to me, but incredibly healing."

Downes said she wrote the book over two months in Bali, and the anonymity there was essential to re-finding her personal identity.

"I had to get out of New Zealand, I had to go away where no one knew me so I could just be me because, actually, after Marty passed I had no idea who I was," Downes said.

"I'd been doing this role of caring for him and then that was over and it was like 'who am I, what do I want to do?' I had no idea. It was an awful feeling."

Downes also said she found solace following Crowe's death by visiting healers, who communicated what his wishes from beyond the grave were.

"One of the healers said to me 'Lorraine, Marty doesn't want you going 'I miss you, I'm crying, he wants you to shine again'. And I just heard those words and thought 'of course he wants me to shine again'." 

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