Beyond Goodbye guides you through your darkest days of suffering and offers hope for your future... Grief can leave us feeling alone and lost in the world, not knowing where to turn for help. And yet grief is one of the few certainties in life - it is impossible to experience love without suffering loss. Leading grief expert Zoe Clark-Coates examines the different losses we may endure in our lives, and provides the much-needed support that helps you navigate your own path through loss. From losing loved ones - parents, partners, children, siblings, family members and friends - to answering the most common questions that are asked in this time of mourning and beyond, Zoe tackles topics that are rarely discussed but essential to address. Beyond Goodbye balances practical advice with personal stories and emotional support. It explores common myths around loss, and offers advice for those supporting the bereaved. Zoe's caring and compassionate guide includes a unique 60 day support plan to guide you on your way. Beyond Goodbye will be a beacon of hope to all who read it.

**As featured on BBC2's Between the Covers** 'Glamorous. Heart-breaking. Hilarious. Feminist. Life-changing' Katherine Ryan 'I loved this book so much. It's hard to overpraise. So funny and so sad and so hopeful' Neil Gaiman 'A wonderful and very special book' Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt 'Funny, sparklingly honest and heart-breaking' Bel Mooney, Daily Mail 'Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time! Genuinely couldn't put it down' Alan Carr 'Incredibly moving, always funny and brilliantly written. I urge everyone to read it' Frank Skinner 'LOVELY. Sad and funny and warm and DOGS' Marian Keyes 'Very beautiful and poignant . . . it'll make you laugh and cry in equal measure' Giles Paley-Phillips 'I read it in one sitting - it's so blinking good' Lorraine Kelly 'A book that will leave you smiling but with a lump in your throat' Mail on Sunday, '100 Hottest Summer Books 2019' * * * The funny, heart-breaking, wonderfully told story of love, family and overwhelming loss which led Emily Dean to find hope and healing in the dog she always wanted. Growing up with the Deans was a fabulous training ground for many things: ignoring unpaid bills, being the most entertaining guest at dinner, deconstructing poetry. It was never home for the dog Emily craved. Emily shared the lively chaos with her beloved older sister Rachael, her rock. Over the years the sisters bond grew ever closer. As Rachael went on to have the cosy family and treasured dog, Giggle, Emily threw herself into unsettled adventure - dog ownership remaining a distant dream. Then, tragically, Rachael is diagnosed with cancer. In just three devastating years Emily loses not only her sister but both her parents as well. This is the funny heart-breaking, wonderfully told story of how Emily discovers that it is possible to overcome the worst that life can throw at you, that it's never too late to make peace with your past, and that the right time is only ever now, as she finally starts again with her very own dog - the adorable Shih-tzu named Raymond.

For readers of Richard Paul Evans and Greg Kincaid comes "The 13th Gift," a heartwarming Christmas story about how a random act of kindness transformed one of the bleakest moments in a family's history into a time of strength and love.
After the unexpected death of her husband, Joanne Huist Smith had no idea how she would keep herself together and be strong for her three children--especially with the holiday season approaching. But 12 days before Christmas, presents begin appearing on her doorstep with notes from their "True Friends." As the Smiths came together to solve the mystery of who the gifts were from, they began to thaw out from their grief and come together again as a family. This true story about the power of random acts of kindness will warm the heart, a beautiful reminder of the miracles of Christmas and the gift of family during the holiday season.

Attempting to demythologize the process of dying, Nuland explores how we shall die, each of us in a way that will be unique. Through particular stories of dying--of patients, and of his own family--he examines the seven most common roads to death: old age, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, accidents, heart disease, and strokes, revealing the facets of death's multiplicity.

"It's impossible to read How We Die without realizing how earnestly we have avoided this most unavoidable of subjects, how we have protected ourselves by building a cultural wall of myths and lies. I don't know of any writer or scientist who has shown us the face of death as clearly, honestly and compassionately as Sherwin Nuland does here."--James Gleick

Nothing can steal peace and joy and undermine the very foundation of someone's life like losing a child. It is devastating on a level that most of us can't imagine. Written after the loss of the author's own child, "Surviving the Loss of a Child" offers encouragement and hope to those who may think they will never be able to live fully after such tragedy. Bereaved parents, as well as friends, counselors, pastors, and caregivers, will find this book a source of comfort and discover coping mechanisms as they move through their grief. Revised and updated, it has short chapters that are easy to take in, perfect for people going through this difficult time.

Made in response to the death of the artist's sister shortly before the birth of his first child, Jason Reimer's work ponders the meaning of life, death, suffering, and human nature. It does so in the form of a fragmented, apocalyptic narrative embodied within a book that utilizes multiple textures, substrates, and complex image sequencing.

In the midst of the busiest years of our lives and careers, just as many of us are beginning to confront our own aging, we are likely to lose a parent--and as commonplace, even expected, as any such event may be, the reperscussions can be dramatic. This book sets out in clear and comprehensive terms what the death of a parent means to most adults--how it in fact functions as a turning point in our emotional, social, and personal lives. Drawing on her own groundbreaking research, in-depth interviews, and data collected nationwide, Debra Umberson explores the social and psychological factors that determine how this important loss will affect us--as a personal crisis or an opportunity for healthy change. Her book shows how adults, far from the "finished" beings we are often assumed to be, can be profoundly transformed by the death of a parent--in beliefs, behavior, goals, sense of self--transformed in ways that will continue to affect us, for better or worse, for the rest of our lives. Debra Umberson is Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the only scholar to have published on the topic of parental death in adulthood using national data, and her resume includes 36 published articles and chapters in leading academic journals and books on family and health topics. Dr. Umberson has received many awards. She won an award for her research for Death of a Parent from FIRST Award from the National Institute on Aging. Umberson's newest research, which is also sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, focuses on how marital quality changes over the life course. Umberson is currently serving as an elected officer of both the Mental Health Section and the Medical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association (the national professional association of sociologists in the United States). She has served as deputy editor of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and associate editor of the Journal of Family Issues. She is currently associate editor of Journal of Marriage and the Family.

What is the place of discontent and unhappiness in human experience and how best can we be with it? There is something about everything that makes it not quite satisfactory. Even things we really love are spoilt by not being quite enough or by going on too long. People entering psychotherapy want to feel better - more authoritative, less anxious or depressed, more whole - and although it can help, an enormous amount of difficult and painful emotions continue to arise. Even after years and years of therapy many of us feel that there is no 'happy ever after'. Bearing this reality in mind and drawing upon both psychotherapeutic and Buddhist sources, Present with Suffering, explores bereavement and our pervasive experience of emptiness. With a foreword from Henry Shukman, the authors show how through being mindfully present, kind and accepting, we may enfold what hurts us in a more spacious and meaningful way.

A Richard and Judy Book club selection. In the summer of 1990, Cathy's brother Matty was knocked down by a car on the way home from a night out. It was two weeks before his GCSE results, which turned out to be the best in his school. Sitting by his unconscious body in hospital, holding his hand and watching his heartbeat on the monitors, Cathy and her parents willed him to survive. They did not know then that there are many and various fates worse than death. This is the story of what happened to Cathy and her brother, and the unimaginable decision that she and her parents had to make eight years after the night that changed everything. It's a story for anyone who has ever watched someone suffer or lost someone they loved or lived through a painful time that left them forever changed. Told with boundless warmth and affection, The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a heartbreaking yet uplifting testament to a family's survival and the price we pay for love.

"What would you do if you were told you had only 72 hours to live?" Let's face it. It's not an easy question to answer. Or is it? What really matters in your life? Who do you need to forgive? Who should you apologise to? What wrongs do you have to put right? Is there a long lost friend you need to find? Will your family be taken care of? And are you at peace with how you lead your life? This book is the compilation of the best submissions to the essay contest, Last 72, jointly organised by Everest Productions and "The Fountain" magazine in 2010. As you read along, you will witness an inmate regretting his past life and taking shelter into hopes for God's mercy, a mother ready to move the entire planet to mobilise for her autistic child when she would not be around for him anymore, an immigrant's thankfulness for a naval officer who saved his mother from the sea, and many other touchy stories and answers for a shaky question.

Honest, gentle advice for those who have survived an unspeakable loss--the suicide of a loved one.

Transforming suffering into strength, misconceptions into understanding, and shame into dignity, Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch break through the dangerous silence and stigma surrounding suicide to bring readers this much-needed book. Cobain's achingly honest account of dealing with the suicide of a loved one, along with personal stories from others who experienced this profound loss, provide powerful insight into the confusion, fear, and guilt family members experience. A chapter about "the suicidal mind" helps families not only comprehend the depth of their loved one's pain prior to suicide, but also understand why such desperation is so difficult to recognize--even in the closest relationships. By sharing survivor stories as well as the latest thinking and statistics about suicide, Cobain and Larch break through myths, misinformation, and misunderstandings. The result is a book of extraordinary compassion and steadfast guidance for anyone awash in the aftermath of unfathomable loss.

"This frank book about suicide is a giant step toward bringing another form of mental illness out of the closet."
-- Mindy Greiling, Minnesota State Representative and National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) National Board of Directors

"This book is a masterpiece for the survivors of suicide and those who care about them."
-- David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., 16th U.S. Surgeon General and Interim President of Morehouse School of Medicine

Kim Fairley was twenty-four when she fell in love with and married a man who was fifty-seven. Something about Vern-his quirkiness, his humor, his devilish smile-made her feel an immediate connection with him. She quickly became pregnant, but instead of the idyllic interlude she'd imagined as she settled into married life and planned for their family, their love was soon tested by the ghosts of Vern's past-a town, a house, a family, a memory. Shooting Out the Lights is a real-life mystery that explores the challenges faced in a loving marriage, the ongoing, wrenching aftermath of gun violence and the healing that comes with confronting the past.

LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021 'One of the year's funniest books' i Paper 'Funny, smart, soulful and sometimes devastating ... It made me laugh and cry' EMILIE PINE, author of Notes to Self _______________ Patrick Freyne has tried a lot of stupid ideas in his life. Now, he is here to tell you about them: like the time (aged 5) he opened a gate and let a horse out of its field, just to see what would happen; or the time (aged 19) he jumped out of a plane for charity, even though he didn't much care about the charity and was sure he'd end up dead; or the time (aged old enough to know better) he used a magazine as a funnel for fuel when the petrol cap on his band's van broke. He has also learned a few things: about the power of group song; about the beauty of physically caring for another human being; about childlessness; about losing friends far too young. Life as seen through the eyes of Patrick Freyne is stranger, funnier and a lot more interesting than life as we generally know it. Like David Sedaris or Nora Ephron, he creates an environment all his own - fundamentally comic, sometimes moving, always deeply humane. OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea is a joyous reading experience from an instantly essential new writer. ______________ 'Patrick Freyne is a comic genius' MARIAN KEYES 'Clever, lovely and great, great fun' RODDY DOYLE 'Funny and adorable' NINA STIBBE 'The most gorgeous and heartbreaking book about humans and why we need each other' DAISY BUCHANAN 'Hilariously, painfully, Freynefully brilliant' JOSEPH O'CONNOR 'Wonderful ... One of my books of the year' RYAN TUBRIDY 'Full of humour and tenderness, this book is an absolute JOY' SINEAD GLEESON 'F*cking fantastic. Patrick is a brilliant writer' BLINDBOY BOATCLUB 'A cracking, sad, funny, honest, brave and hilarious read' LIZ NUGENT 'Guffaw-out-loud funny' Business Post 'A writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity. These essays are a delight' MARK O'CONNELL, author of To Be a Machine 'Goosebumps! Guffaws! It's got it all. I love this book' DOIREANN NI GHRIOFA

From New York Times bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller, a book about facing the death of loved ones, as well as our own inevitable death Significant events such as birth, marriage, and death are milestones in our lives in which we experience our greatest happiness and our deepest grief. And so it is profoundly important to understand how to approach and experience these occasions with grace, endurance, and joy. In a culture that does its best to deny death, Timothy Keller--theologian and bestselling author--teaches us about facing death with the resources of faith from the Bible. With wisdom and compassion, Keller finds in the Bible an alternative to both despair or denial. A short, powerful book, On Death gives us the tools to understand the meaning of death within God's vision of life.

In suffering the unexpected loss of her husband in the space of three months, Maria has navigated this passing into an honest awakening to the stages of grief. Exploring the changes to one's character, its effects on those around them and the difficulties we face as carers when confronted with the responsibility to manage and comfort our loved one in this process. In Factions of a Mind, Maria examines our role as the carer. Learning how to manage the responsibilities to this role and the suffering it extends. To thoughtfully and honestly discuss our duty to care. As carers, our obligation to 'care' for the other has inexplicably meant that we do not equip ourselves with the tools and resources to 'care' for ourselves after their passing. Our inability to comprehend their loss and the stages of grief we are experiencing leave us vulnerable and open to further pain.

Everything can change - In Just One DayFlora has always adored her brother Billy. Born just eighteen months apart, their childhood was spent like two peas in a pod - no one could separate them. Now, as adults, they remain the best of friends. And as Flora is immersed in family life, Billy is always there to lend a hand. But, in just one day, everything changes. In just one day, Flora's life falls apart. In just one day, Flora has to learn how to live again. From the nostalgia of seaside Britain to the breath-taking beauty of Venice, in tears and laughter, join Helen McGinn for this emotional, uplifting and joyful story about love in all its guises. But above all, this is an unforgettable story of one little girl and the brother she adored. Helen McGinn has written a novel to recommend to all your friends, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Noble, Cathy Kelly and JoJo Moyes. Praise for Helen McGinn: 'Escapist, warm, witty and wise' Daily Mail 'This is a lovely uplifting book that transported me away, firstly to the beautiful city of Rome and then to gorgeous Cornwall. It's a moving and emotional story of families in all their messy wonderfulness, of people losing one another, and then coming together again - sometimes in unexpected ways. A hugely enjoyable family tale,it was exactly what I wanted to read at this time.' Louise Douglas 'This Changes Everything is the perfect tonic. An uplifting, forget-about-everything-else read that I couldn't put down. Romantic, emotional and page-turning, Helen McGinn's debut novel can't fail to cheer you up!' Zoe Folbigg 'I loved reading this book. I needed escapism - don't we all need escapism right now - and it gave me Rome, Cornwall and a family who immediately felt like old friends. I took it to the bath, to bed and had finished it within 24 hours. It was the perfect antidote to tough times.' Victoria Moore The Daily Telegraph

Joe Sealey was watching his son play for Manchester United's Under-14s when a man came up to him and said: "I've got your dad's book." Joe's father, Les, had been Manchester United's goalkeeper but had died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 43. His death tormented Joe, who had been West Ham's reserve keeper. Joe had given up on football, slipping into an alcohol and drug addiction that almost killed him. He had forgotten what his father's voice sounded like. Now, here it was in form of a Tupperware box full of cassette tapes. The centrepiece of the tapes is the most important game in the modern history of Manchester United, the 1990 FA Cup final. After three barren years at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson was on the brink of dismissal. There was just the FA Cup final left. He knew that, if it was lost, he would almost certainly be sacked. After the first game against Crystal Palace was drawn 3-3, he dropped his goalkeeper, Jim Leighton, who had been with Ferguson for most of his managerial career, and replaced him with Sealey, who had played just two matches in a year. The replay was won and by the time Sealey left Old Trafford in 1994, Manchester United had become the dominant force in English football. On Days Like These is an intimate portrait of a club dragged from the brink. It is also the story of Joe Sealey's journey to the edge and back. Many years later Joe met Ferguson. 'Your father saved my career,' Ferguson said. 'And you saved his,' was the reply. On Days Like These is a story of two rescues.

Funerary Practices in Serbia is the first book to offer a concise yet highly informative study of the historical development and current state of funerary practices in Serbia. Situated in a constant dynamic struggle between traditional cultural customs and modern legislation, funerary practices in Serbia represent a particularly interesting field of research. In this study, Pavicevic combines an investigation of long-term developments and recent changes to place contemporary practices in their wider historical context, emphasizing the complicated geo-political, demographic and cultural factors that have shaped funeral traditions in Serbia over time. In particular, she demonstrates how the country's frequent changing of borders and life under the rule of two great empires - the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman - fostered the emergence of colorful funerary traditions, such as open-casket burial and vigils around the body, that persist to this day in spite of government attempts to modernize funerary practice since the end of the 19th century. The book also provides illuminating insights into the legal framework surrounding current funerary practices in Serbia, the relationship between the state and private sectors, the ownership of cemeteries and gravesites, the role of churches and religious communities, religious and ethnic variations in funerary culture and traditions, and the development of modern cremation practices in Serbia. This book provides a useful and original resource for policymakers and practitioners interested in the historic, legal, technical and professional aspects of the Serbian funerary industry, and to researchers in cultural anthropology, history, sociology and cultural management.

Based on Alan Wolfelt's six needs of mourning and written to pair with "Companioning the Grieving Child", this thorough guide provides hundreds of hands-on activities tailored for grieving children in three age groups: preschool, elementary, and teens. Through the use of readings, games, discussion questions, and arts and crafts, caregivers can help grieving young people acknowledge the reality of the death, embrace the pain of the loss, remember the person who died, develop a new self-identity, search for meaning, and accept support. Sample activities include grief sock puppets, expression bead bracelets, the nurturing game, and writing an autobiographical poem. Activities are presented in an easy-to-follow format, and each has a goal, an objective, a sequential description of the activity, and a list of needed materials.

The sadness of losing a pet affects people from all walks of life, ages and situations. Pet ownership enriches people's lives, and so the loss of a pet - a member of the family - can be devastating. While there is an abundance of advice discussing pet care, training, the idiosyncrasies of particular animal breeds and celebrations of the lives of pets, the loss of a pet is often seen as 'inevitable' and left unaddressed. This can be a shattering experience and not always recognised by those with less understanding of the bond between humans and their animal companions. An Inevitable Journey seeks to reassure owners that it is perfectly natural to grieve the loss of a much-loved pet through a collection of prose, quotations and poetry through each stage of the process, for example: Grief, Missing, Strength, Guilt, Depression, Longing, Acceptance, Memories, and finally, Moving On. Each page is flagged for easy reference, depicting each particular stage of this journey. The greater the love we have for our pets, the greater our grief upon losing them. The aim of this anthology is to guide bereaved owners from despair through to hope.