How does life go on after losing a child? Life from the Ashes shares the dark and raw story of Shari O'Loughlin's loss of her 14-year-old son, Connor, who was shockingly killed in an airplane crash on his way home from a four-day vacation. Like all parents, Shari was struck with the most unimaginable nightmare when her family received the soul-numbing news. Parents trying to navigate the perilous journey of traumatic loss know the path is agonizing. Happiness, faith, and wholeness seem reserved for everyone else but them. Shari shares her story to help bring the same unexpected hope and healing she experienced to parents alike. She helps answer questions on how parents can trust again, feel happiness, and have faith after God let their child die. She addresses how to live with this new life, take steps toward healing, and live a more purposeful life after loss. In honor of Connor and her family, Shari shares her path from darkness to light so other parents may better find their way. Although Shari's story shares the journey after the loss of a child, it contains tools that can help anyone who has suffered a loss of any type move forward in life.

The Labour of Loss explores how mothers, fathers, widows, relatives and friends dealt with their experiences of grief and loss during and after the First and Second World Wars. Based on an examination of private loss through letters and diaries, this study makes a significant contribution to understanding how people came to terms with the deaths of friends and family. Unlike other studies in this area, The Labour of Loss considers how mourning affected men and women in different ways, and analyzes the gendered dimensions of grief.

Alyson Franz suffered a painful loss and didn't know how she could ever get past it. Being a therapist herself at the time, she tried many traditional approaches with no success. This led her to a journey of healing, transformation, and a complete change in her professional work. She has now rebuilt both her life and her professional practice based on what she has learned on this journey which includes extensive training in transformative healing and coaching modalities. She specializes in helping others heal from grief and loss. In The Grief Cure, she shares her revolutionary approach. Sufferers learn: Why the loss of a loved one can feel excruciatingly painful Ways to release their emotional pain and feel better immediately What they can do to end their suffering for good Why traditional talk therapies and medication rarely work to heal grief How to move from feeling overwhelmed with grief to a new purpose The Grief Cure combines personal experience and the newest modern discoveries to help those who are suffering from grief rebuild their life after the loss.

For all those people who say they aren't cat people, but deep down know they are. 'Possibly the next Marley & Me' Red 'A reminder of the gratitude humans owe to our companion animals' Daily Mail Helen Brown wasn't a cat person, but her nine-year-old son Sam was. So when Sam heard someone mention that her cat had just had a litter, he pleaded to go and see them. Helen was powerless to resist and the deal was done - to be delivered when the kitten was big enough to leave her mother. Tragically, just a week later, Sam was killed in a road accident. Not long after this, a little black kitten was delivered to the family's doorstep. Totally numbed by Sam's death, Helen had completely forgotten about the new arrival, which belonged in another universe when Sam was still alive. Helen was ready to send her back, but Sam's younger brother, Rob, identified with the kitten who'd also lost her brothers. Stroking her, it was the first time Helen had seen him smile since Sam's death. There was no choice, the kitten - dubbed Cleo - had to stay. Cleo's immense character slowly taught the family to laugh again, giving them hope of getting back to normal. Over the next 24 years she went on to become the high priestess of Helen's household - vetoing her new men, terrifying visiting dogs and playing an integral role in their lives to become both a guardian and beloved friend. Optioned for film.

Deborah Hayward was widowed at just 43 years old and left with four children and very little income. Life had been turned upside down and desperate for guidance she turned to self-help books on bereavement. Horrified at what she found there she resolved to find a spiritual truth more in keeping with her beliefs and experiences as a Psychic and Medium. Having found the advice she had read cold and dismissive of the powerful evidence of life after death, she decided to write her own book on coping with life after bereavement, which would incorporate the beautiful loving relationships possible with loved ones that have passed to spirit. Using her own experience and drawing on mediumistic evidence of the survival of spirit after death she composed a book to bring strength and comfort to the bereaved and guidance to counsellors. This book is meant to bring hope and inspiration.

Five years ago, my little boy went missing. Now my husband's vanished, too.I wish I could say that the tragedy of little Jack disappearing brought me and Nate closer together. But my husband is more distant from me now than he's ever been. Perhaps that's why I don't ask him exactly where he's going when he sets off on another business trip. Or perhaps I was too distracted by the woman moving in across the street with bouncing blonde hair and a cherubic toddler boy. He reminds me so much of the child I lost. But his mother doesn't seem to properly watch him. And I can't be sure, but I think Nate and this woman share a look of recognition before he leaves. The first day Nate's away, things feel okay, even though I know when he returns we're going to have to discuss what I found in his coat pocket. But one day turns into two, and then three. I don't want to seem like the crazy wife, but I have to call his work and ask what's going on. And that's when they tell me the shocking truth. Nate hasn't worked for the company in six months. Once I've found this lie, it's hard not to pick at the scab of our marriage, see what other secrets lie beneath his apparent love for me. By the end of the week, I hope I might finally learn the truth about my husband, about the woman across the street, and about what really happened to my little boy. The Perfect Family Man is a jaw-droppingly good rollercoaster ride of a novel with twists that will leave readers going 'OMG'. Perfect for fans of The Woman in the Window, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell. Read what everyone is saying about M. M. DeLuca...'Okay, I was totally blown away by this book. I thought it was going to be your run-of-the-mill mystery... Wow, I was wrong. This is an amazingly written book. If you think you can figure it out, well good luck to you... I will be bringing this book up every chance I get. Great story!!!!' NetGalley Reviewer, 'A heart-wrenching clash of past and present which is not for the faint-hearted. It is rare for a book to make you feel so many strong emotions... Captivating and intriguing... I couldn't put the book down... This has been the most memorable book I have read in a long time.' Goodreads Reviewer, 'This novel is one you cannot put down! I put aside all my work so I could binge it in a day. A gripping story... With many twists and turns, this novel kept me on edge and guessing till the end.' NetGalley Reviewer, 'Crazy good... Ups and downs throughout and an absolutely heartbreaking ending. I loved it.' NetGalley Reviewer, 'Utterly compulsive reading. I found the subject matter harrowing but so well written and well researched...' NetGalley Reviewer, 'Ooo this one definitely had a twist that I was not expecting! Go ahead and read this one for yourself because trust me it will keep you guessing until the very end. I loved it! Writing style was fantastic as well.' NetGalley Reviewer, 'This book had such a raw storyline. I really enjoyed it. Would recommend this to every person who asked me.' NetGalley Reviewer, 'Really enjoyed this quick read... It did not end how I expected which left me both surprised and satisfied.... Would recommend!' Goodreads Reviewer, 'This book is a very good read... The author builds tension that grows throughout the book and you find yourself unable to put the book down. I would definitely recommend this book.' Goodreads Reviewer,

Find your way out of the pain and darkness of grief. None of us escapes life without experiencing grief in one form or another. But the journey of grieving parents, specifically that of the grieving mother, is something no one can imagine ... unless they have lived it. Is there a way through? Is it possible to live vibrantly again, to find joy and purpose in life after your young adult child has passed on? YES! The journey to joy may surprise you. Grief Interrupted is a letter of love, hope, and healing from one mother in grief to another. Corey Stiles, who lost her 17-year-old daughter, has walked the path, and her words will inspire you to reclaim your joy. With Corey as your guide, start your journey to a new normal where you will create space for both sorrow and joy to reside within you without crippling you. On this courageous sojourn, you will rediscover the magic and wonder of life while still honoring your loved one who has transitioned to heaven. Grief Interrupted is like a personal healing retreat for grieving mothers-in book form. If you're ready to move out of the dark, painful sea of grief and into the warmth and light of joy, this is your starting point. While this is a journey only you can set out on, you are not alone. You have someone to guide you, to encourage you, and to walk alongside you. You can be happy again! Welcome to the journey!

During a pandemic lockdown full of pyjama dance parties, life talks, and final goodbyes, a family helps a father die with dignity. In April 2020, journalist Mitchell Consky received bad news: his father was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer, with less than two months to live. Suddenly, he and his extended family -- many of them healthcare workers -- were tasked with reconciling the social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic with a family-based approach to end-of-life care. The result was a home hospice during the first lockdown. Suspended within the chaos of medication and treatments were dance parties, episodes of Tiger King, and his father's many deadpan jokes. Leaning into his journalistic intuitions, Mitchell interviewed his father daily, making audio recordings of final talks, emotional goodbyes, and the unexpected laughter that filled his father's final days. Serving as a catalyst for fatherly affection, these interviews became an opportunity for emotional confession during the slowed-down time of a shuttered world, and reflect how far a family went in making a dying loved one feel safe at home.

Practical, emotional, and spiritual guidance
The time may come when you or a loved one has to face a life-threatening illness; when you realize that you or your loved one may be dying. It's never easy to think about the last years of life, but being prepared can help you have your hopes and wishes realized. By taking the time now to plan for the future, you can maintain control of your life even at the very end.
Staying in Charge is a supportive guide to opening up the lines of communication and making life more fulfilling from the first day of diagnosis of a serious illness. This reassuring handbook helps you to focus on important matters such as:
* Handling a living will or a do-not-resuscitate order
* Deciding upon medical power of attorney
* Gathering support from friends and family
* And, most significantly, learning to live in the midst of dying

Based on the wisdom of many experts and caregivers in the field, Staying in Charge offers everything you need to know to make the last years of life more fruitful, less isolating, and more comfortable and peaceful-whenever and wherever the journey occurs.
""Few of us think of our own death with an open heart or a clear mind. Kaplan and Lukas courageously and compassionately demystify this unknown part of life with practical and spiritual guidance. With Staying in Charge, the secret is out: You can plan for death and, in so doing, learn how to live more fully.""
-Beth Witrogen McLeod, author of Caregiving: The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal
""Staying in Charge: Practical Plans for the End of Your Life means what it says. When it comes time to manage a serious illness, we all want to be in control. There isn't a person alive who shouldn't read and absorb the counsel of this valorous-and unexpectedly cheering-work.""
-Stefan Kanfer, former editor, Time magazine author of Ball of Fire and A Summer World

In 1994 William Ritter's adult son committed suicide, sending Ritter and his family on a journey no family wants to take. Part of Ritter's own process of healing the loss of his son was to preach about it occasionally from the pulpit. This book is a collection of the sermons he preached, the first one just three weeks after his son's death, and the final one nine years later. Through them, we get a glimpse of a father and a family struggling honestly with their pain and gradually-over the years-coming to grips with their loss. Take the Dimness of My Soul Away will be a welcome companion to anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide, as well as to pastors and counselors who work with those who are grieving. Ritter offers no easy solutions, no rosy pictures, and no silver linings, but speaks honestly instead about the difficult emotions and confusion of this kind of loss, and ultimately, about a sense of hopefulness for the survivors of suicide.

'This is a book that takes you by the hand and promises the gentlest comfort in the darkest of times.' Tamsin Greig A Grief Companion offers us practical help to use alongside the theory of Sasha Bate's debut book, Languages of Loss. This guide gives us the starting points to begin our journeys of managing grief, providing us with space and pages to explore and process our feelings with Sasha's expert guidance. Sasha offers some optimism to let you know that you will find light and courage from out of this darkness, and you will be transformed by it. Your grief will not leave you, but you will arrange yourself around it differently. Split in to four sections, that can be read in any order - Mind, Body, Spirit and Everyday - this book explores the non-linear grief that you may be feeling and gives you permission to do your grief, your way. Filled with suggestions, resources, advice for friends of the bereaved and a guiding hand, we hope this book will help you see some light in the darkness of grief. 'Explaining how the mind and body work together, A Grief Companion offers insights into the process of grieving. The writing is energetic, down-to-earth and honest as Sasha Bates helps readers cope with the many layers and levels of grief. A useful as well as a moving book.' Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of A Manual for Heartache

"Now there is a hand to hold... "

Each year about eight million Americans suffer the death of someone close to them. Now for thse who face the challenges of sudden death, there is a hand to hold, written by two women who have experienced sudden loss. This updated edition of the best-selling bereavement classic will touch, comfort, uplift and console. Authors Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D. explore sudden death and offers a comforting hand to hold for those who are grieving the sudden death of a loved one.

Featured on ABC World News, Fox and Friends and many other shows, this book acts as a touchstone of sanity through difficult times. I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye covers such difficult topics as the first few weeks, suicide, death of a child, children and grief, funerals and rituals, physical effects, homicide and depression. New material covers the unique circumstances of loss, men and women's grieving styles, religion and faith, myths and misunderstandings, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye reflects the shifting face of grief.
These pages have offered solace to over eighty thousand people, ranging from seniors to teenagers and from the newly bereaved to those who lost a loved one years ago. Individuals engulfed by the immediate aftermath will find a special chapter covering the first few weeks.

Tapping their personal histories and drawing on numerous interviews, authors Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D, explore unexpected death and its role in the cycle of life. I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye provides survivors with a rock-steady anchor from which to weather the storm of pain and begin to rebuild their lives.

PRAISE FOR I WASN'T READY TO SAY GOODBYE

""I highly recommend this book, not only to the bereaved, but to friends and counselors as well.""
Helen Fitzgerald, author of The Grieving Child, The Mourning Handbook, and The Grieving Teen

""This book, by women who have done their homework on grief... can hold a hand and comfort a soul through grief 's wilderness. Oustanding references of where to see other help.""
George C. Kandle, Pastoral Psychologist

""Finally, you have found a friend who can not only explain what has just occurred, but can take you by the hand and lead you to a place of healing and personal growth. Whether you are dealing with the loss of a family member, a close personal associate or a friend, this guide can help you survive and cope, but even more importantly... heal.""
The Rebecca Review

""For those dealing with the loss of a loved one, or for those who want to help someone who is, this is a highly recommended read.""
Midwest Book Review

'This is the most startlingly honest book about grief I have ever read. Its immediacy hits you on the first page and takes you on an unforgettable journey. No one has set out so clearly the stages we go through as we try to come to terms with facing the enormity of death.' - Dame Penelope Wilton, DBE 'Sasha writes exquisitely and honestly, the sheer rawness of what she has gone through and is still going through, sitting in balance with the calm and clear-sighted objectivity of the therapist, who is also her.' - Hugh Bonneville One person, two perspectives on grief. Plunged unexpectedly into widowhood at just 49 years old, psychotherapist Sasha Bates describes in searing honesty the agonisingly raw feelings unleashed by the loss of her husband and best friend, Bill. At the same time, she attempts to keep her therapist hat in place and create some perspective from psycho-analytic theory. From the depths of her confusion she gropes for ways to manage and bear the pain - by looking back at all that she has learnt from psychotherapeutic research, and from accepted grief theories, to help her make sense of her altered reality. Languages of Loss starts a necessary and overdue conversation about death and loss. It breaks down taboos and tries to find humour and light amidst the depressing, bewildering reality. It is an essential companion to help support readers through the agony of those early months, giving permission for all the feelings, and offering various methods of living with them.This book's overriding message is that everyone's experience of grief is different, but knowing more about the theory, and learning a new vocabulary, while not necessarily easing the grief, can help you feel less alone, and at some point enable you to reflect back and see how far you have come. 'This is a useful as well as a moving book. The writing is energetic, down-to-earth and bracingly honest, and many readers will feel consoled and enlightened by Bates's take on her experience.' - The Times 'Bates's skill as a psychotherapist is married to her deft ability to use language and metaphor to create this vital treatise on loss. As much as Languages of Loss is an essential text on grief, it is also a story of love.' - Sunday Business Post Review 'This book will give anyone grieving the death of their partner an insight into their experience, and help those around them understand the difficult and painful process of grief.' - Julia Samuel, author of This Too Shall Pass and Grief Works 'A really powerful book. I hadn't read a book before that melds the professional, as a psychotherapist, and the personal, as someone that lost their partner. Sasha's book covers the course of one year since she lost her husband Bill, where she describes how she feels and tries to apply what she has learnt as a therapist. She explores the times when that really exposes the shortcomings of grief counselling, and how incapable anything is really at helping you navigate this absence. I've never read anything like that, a mixture of the practical and the emotional.' - Pandora Sykes

When a family member or close friend dies, it can be difficult to know how best to help the children and teenagers involved. Someone Very Important Has Just Died is a practical book written for those caring for children and teenagers suffering a close bereavement. Intended for use immediately or soon after the death has occurred, this book gives practical and detailed guidance on what adults might say and do to help children.;This much-needed resource tackles the sensitive issues of what to tell children, how far to include them in the events immediately after the death, and how to tend to their physical and emotional needs. The material is suitable for anyone regardless of their background and beliefs, and is supplemented with information on where to go to obtain longer term bereavement support.;Someone Very Important Has Just Died is an ideal resource for professionals in all areas of work relating to bereavement. It is designed to be given to adults with children in their care at the time of a death.

"Whatever you are feeling, God can handle it--all of it. The tears, screams, and questions. God invites you to let Him tend to your heart." In the bluegrass fields of Kentucky, Anne Wilson and her siblings, Jacob and Elizabeth, grew up in the security and love of their family--and Jesus. But when Jacob died in a car accident, Anne was thrust into a painful journey of grief and soul-wrestling that led to God calling her to create songs that glorified Him. My Jesus weaves together Anne's personal story with an encouraging message to anyone longing for God to wipe away their tears. No matter what season of life you're facing, My Jesus comes alongside you to: Show how God can bring purpose out of loss Offer hope in the midst of heartbreak Remind you that God never abandons you Discover the beauty that can emerge from suffering as you read Anne's story of growing closer to the God who always makes a way. Praise for My Jesus: "I love how Anne Wilson invites us into the cracks and crevices of her life and how she built her life on Jesus. My Jesus is personal, and it takes you on a journey through some of the most foundational parts of Anne's life that develop into a large picture where it is so clear that God was the artist of it all. As I read through each page, I felt like I was at coffee with Anne, hearing her story." --Sadie Robertson Huff, author, speaker, and founder of Live Original "The song 'My Jesus' has impacted so many of our lives in such important ways. Reading this book, being in the moments with Anne and her family, and hearing her faith rise up when her heart was broken, Anne has told a true and deep story that we all need to read." --Annie F. Downs, New York Times bestselling author of That Sounds Fun

What does it mean to become a widow at 35? In her mid-thirties Kat Lister lost her husband to brain cancer. After five years of being a wife and one of being a carer, in love and in and out of hospitals, she became a widow. In the year following his death Kat seeks refuge in stories of grief and widowhood, but struggles to find a language that can make sense of her experience and the physicality of bereavement. Instead, she turns to the elements - fire, water, earth, air - on her quest to come to terms with her grief, to inhabit her body again, and to find out who she is now. The Elements is a story of love, pain, hope and, ultimately, transformation. "Powerful, humane and deeply affecting, Lister's wise and truthful writing makes this essential reading for anyone touched, and utterly confused, by grief." Sali Hughes "The must-read memoir" Red

Every once in a while a book comes along that can change your life–a book so special, it is destined not just to be read but to be cherished, to be passed from one reader to another as a precious gift. Filled with wisdom and grace, tears and laughter, Hannah’s Gift is one such book. Within these pages Maria Housden shares the transformative lessons in living she received from her three-year-old daughter Hannah, who brought courage, honesty, and joy to her struggle with cancer.

During the last year of her short life, Hannah was fearless in the way she faced death–and irrepressibly joyful in the way she approached living. The little girl who wore her favorite red Mary Janes into the operating room changed the life of everyone who came in contact with her. Now, in a book that preserves Hannah’s indomitable spirit, Maria Housden offers the gift of her daughter’s last year to all of us.

In a lyrically told narrative, both moving and unforgettable, Housden recounts Hannah’s battle with cancer in simple, straightforward language that transcends grief and fear to become a celebration. From Hannah’s story emerge five profound lessons–of truth, joy, faith, compassion, and wonder–that have the power to change our lives.

During her illness Hannah showed how we can truly live in the moment and break free from lives suffocated by too many unlived joys. Even more memorable is the message Hannah delivered after her death to those she loved–a message of hope for anyone faced with the deepest questions of life and death.

Hannah’s Gift nourishes the soul with an ageless wisdom all the more invaluable for having come from someone so young. A remarkable story, remarkably told, it will bring comfort to anyone touched by loss, and renewed faith in the
power of love.

Closing her eyes and extending her arms, Hannah began to dance. Oblivious to everything but the shoes on her feet, she skipped and clicked across the floor, twirling in circles, faster and faster. There was something about her pure joy and the defiant nobility of the red shoes that caught everyone’s attention....

The true measure of a life is not its length but the fullness with which it is lived


From the Hardcover edition.

Elegant prose ... sheds new light on the father-daughter dynamic
-Boston magazine
Praise for Fatherless WOMEN
""If it can be said about a book on loss, Fatherless Women is a pleasure to read. Clea Simon is a warm, honest, intelligent, and trustworthy guide, not only for grieving women but for the men who support them. Simon's insights about father-daughter relationships are profound.""
-Neil Chethik, author of FatherLoss
""Clea Simon deepens our understanding of the complicated emotions daughters feel about fathers, both during life and especially after death. This book will help heal rifts and set stuck energies free.""
-Beth Witrogen McLeod, author of Caregiving:
The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal
""Unusually candid and often provocative . . . Simon's book is immensely thought-provoking about a topic that all of us will face.""
-Pauline Boss, Ph.D., author of Ambiguous Loss:
Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief
There is a special bond between a father and a daughter, and when that bond is broken by death, a woman's life can change in profound and unexpected ways. Clea Simon, critically acclaimed author of Mad House, explores this crucial meeting point of grief and growth by delving into her own experience and those of other women to paint an illuminating portrait of the father-daughter relationship and its lifelong ramifications. Filled with moving stories of real women, this poignant, comforting, and insightful book paves the way for all women to make peace with the past, with the adults they have become, and to courageously face the question: what happens next?

Marie Mutsuki Mockett's family owns a Buddhist temple but after the Fukushima disaster, radiation levels prohibited the burial of her Japanese grandfather's bones. As Japan mourned, Mockett also grieved for her American father who had died unexpectedly. Seeking consolation, Mockett is guided by a colourful cast of Zen priests and ordinary Japanese who perform rituals that disturb, haunt and finally uplift her.

A unique approach to understanding and overcoming grief.

Bestselling author Raymond Moody and his colleague Dianne Arcangel show how the grieving process can transform our fear and grief into spiritual and emotional growth.

"Elegant prose ... sheds new light on the father-daughter dynamic"
–Boston magazine

Praise for Fatherless WOMEN

"If it can be said about a book on loss, Fatherless Women is a pleasure to read. Clea Simon is a warm, honest, intelligent, and trustworthy guide, not only for grieving women but for the men who support them. Simon’s insights about father-daughter relationships are profound."
–Neil Chethik, author of FatherLoss

"Clea Simon deepens our understanding of the complicated emotions daughters feel about fathers, both during life and especially after death. This book will help heal rifts and set stuck energies free."
–Beth Witrogen McLeod, author of Caregiving:
The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal

"Unusually candid and often provocative . . . Simon’s book is immensely thought-provoking about a topic that all of us will face."
–Pauline Boss, Ph.D., author of Ambiguous Loss:
Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief

There is a special bond between a father and a daughter, and when that bond is broken by death, a woman’s life can change in profound and unexpected ways. Clea Simon, critically acclaimed author of Mad House, explores this crucial meeting point of grief and growth by delving into her own experience and those of other women to paint an illuminating portrait of the father-daughter relationship and its lifelong ramifications. Filled with moving stories of real women, this poignant, comforting, and insightful book paves the way for all women to make peace with the past, with the adults they have become, and to courageously face the question: what happens next?

A counterweight to isolation. Many teenagers will be the only person in their peer group to have been bereaved. The book offers solidarity through the stories of people who have experienced bereavement as a teenager and can offer advice with the wisdom of years