Country Singer’s Wife Amber Emily Smith Pens Book on Faith After Son’s Tragic Death

Amber Emily Smith has published her new book, The Girl on the Bathroom Floor: Held Together When Everything Is Falling Apart, a candid, faith-infused glimpse at her journey through the unimaginable loss of her son. In the book, Smith shares about the raw pain and healing that came from her writing about the death of her 3-year-old son, River, and how her faith in God was a pillar of support in carrying forward. 

Writing the memoir was an emotional challenge for Amber, as she re-lived a time of deep grief, but she found strength to feel the pain again because of her faith. “It was hard. I cried on parts that I wouldn't think that I would cry about. It surprised me as I was writing which chapters I would cry through," Amber tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Amber recalls a moment that deeply impacted her while writing — realizing she could not remember every detail of that tragic day. “I couldn't remember what PJs he was wearing, and it really was bothering me that I couldn't remember exactly what he was wearing," she says, adding that she requested the police report to jog her memory.

Amber and her husband, country artist Granger Smith, have continued to honor River's memory through daily conversations, birthday celebrations, and acts of kindness in his name. River's passing was publicly announced in 2019, and he was laid to rest on June 11 of that year.

In a recent interview with Brandon Woolum on GodTube Music, Amber and Granger discussed faith, grief, and healing, reflecting on how their belief in God sustained them through tragedy.

Amber hopes her book will bring comfort to those experiencing pain, loss, or brokenness. “I want [readers] to know that no matter what happens in this world, awful things happen, but that God is good and that he is faithful and he will carry you through,” she says. “But it was also very healing, I think, to not only remember what happened, but also remember the faithfulness of the Lord and just really get on paper how God carried me.”

Through her story, Amber Smith seeks to remind others that life does not end in tragedy and that healing and joy are still possible through faith.