Drawing On Grief is a uniquely creative journal and mindful keepsake which draws on the soothing therapeutic power of drawing and creativity to help people navigate the pain of bereavement. In this moving book of self-help through art therapy, author Kate Sutton draws on her own experiences of losing a loved one to help others on this difficult journey, presenting guided creative prompts as well as memories of her own and quotes from others on the painful topic of loss. By guiding readers through creative exercises from drawing fond memories together to creating an ocean of tears with colouring pencils, this book helps people visualise the pain they are going through, so as to better understand and navigate their grief. The book also contains written prompts such as writing a letter to yourself and to your loved one, designed to help people express the difficult emotions which bereavement brings. Part self-help book, part memoir, Drawing On Grief emphasizes the importance of self-care in the grieving process, allowing people to explore their own feelings through creative mediums, which can often be easier than trying to express feelings directly. A modern and insightful approach to the pain of loss, Drawing On Grief is a sensitive and compassionate guide to help people look after themselves as they traverse one of life's most challenging moments. This book is part of the Drawing On... series, a collection of creative guided journals which help readers explore difficult topics including anxiety and grief. Also available is Drawing On Anxiety, a beautifully illustrated interactive journal tapping into self-help, self-care, mental health and creative mindfulness.

Hierdie verhalende nie-fiktiewe werk vertel die storie van Beryl Botman wat aan Russel Botman onthul hoe sy sy skielike afsterwe ervaar en hanteer. “Hoe moet sy leer leef en hul liefde vir mekaar herken in hierdie nuwe dimensies van bestaan?” is die sentrale vraagstuk van die eenrigtinggesprek.

Die gebeure speel af vanaf die oomblikke voordat sy besef dat Russel gesterf het tot die op die dag van die eerste herdenking van sy afsterwe – die verloop van een jaar. Dis vir haar die jaar waarin sy haar op haar diepste sterkpunte beroep; haar troebelste swakhede in die gesig staar en op haar hele wording staatmaak om selfs een tree te gee.

Die vertelling vind in drie dele plaas en begin met ‘n dag-vir-dag weergawe van die eerste twee weke van ervaringe en gewaarwordinge. Die daaropvolgende twee dele is weeklikse en daarna maandlikse onthullings. Haar spirituele en reële blootlegging volg ‘n reis vanaf Stellenbosch tot Wynberg en sommige ander plekke in die wêreld.

Beryl hanteer lewensveranderende besluite en optredes in haar wêreld met die gemak en liefdevolle ondersteuning van familie en vriende, en terselfdertyd die vyandigheid van ander familie en die afsydigheid en verwerping van vriende en kennisse.

'A work of literature: beautifully written, meticulously structured and heart-rending.' Observer; What if you knew from the beginning how your relationship was going to end? When Jill Hopper first met Arif, they were living in a shared house on the island of Osney in the River Thames. Surrounded by willow trees, birds and reflections, it was an idyllic home. But no sooner had they begun to fall in love than Arif was given the news that he had only a few months to live. Everyone told Jill to walk away, but she was already in too deep. Years later, Jill rediscovers Arif's parting gift - an African seedpod - and finally sets out to trace the elusive patterns that shaped their relationship. The Mahogany Pod is a tender and vital account of what it means to live, and love, fully.

This is a book that will be a great comfort to those who need it' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth 'Unforgettable, necessary. This beautiful book is a map, compass and ration of courage for anyone arrived in the landscape of sudden loss. Full of love and learning' Tanya Shadrick In 2017, Sophie Pierce's life changed forever when her twenty-year-old son Felix died suddenly and unexpectedly. Thrown into an unimaginable new reality, she had to find a way to survive. By writing letters to Felix - composed during walks and swims taken close to his burial place by the River Dart - Sophie gradually learned how to live in the landscape of sudden loss, navigating the weather and tides of grief. The Green Hill collects these letters alongside Sophie's account of the years following Felix's death, into which she weaves poignant memories of his life. What results is a deeply moving, beautifully captured record of how - amid the rivers and rocks of Dartmoor, and in the sea off the South Devon coast - Sophie was able to hold on to and nurture her bond with Felix, both in her mind and through a physical engagement with the landscape: actively mourning, rather than grieving. This book is a celebration of the natural world and the role it plays in our lives and relationships, as well as an examination of how beauty, a sense of place and the passing seasons can help us contend with our own mortality. Above all, The Green Hill is one woman's story of navigating through trauma and loss, and towards a fragile, complicated kind of joy.

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague.  Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder.  Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance.  He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life.  Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.  Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.


From the Hardcover edition.

"Ever since I first found out that Barbara had breast cancer the thought of her dying plagued me almost daily. I never told her how I felt about this because I tried to be her coach and source of strength. There were many nights especially when she was in the hospital with the infections that I cried myself to sleep. I just kept thinking that it was so unfair for her to have cancer and suffer all that humiliation and sickness that came with the chemotherapy treatments. I never really got over the fear of losing her. I was so afraid of what would happen to me. How could I ever go on with my life without her? How would I cope with the thought of never seeing her or talking with her again?I thought a lot about death during this period. I firmly believed in the afterlife and eternal salvation. I knew that Barbara was a good Christian and that her place in heaven would be a certainty. But I wanted her here on earth with me for the rest of my life. I wanted to see her grow old and comfort me. I couldn't stand the thought of her dying before me."

Explaining how multitudes of North Americans are carrying the pain of all types of loss -- not just the deaths of loved ones but also the loss of a spouse through divorce, children who leave home, and the decline of health as they age or get sick -- this balanced resource empowers mourners and grief counsellors to turn grief into an experience to be learned from. Defining the varieties of heartache and its consequences, this effective guide explores how to inventory, understand, embrace, and reconcile one's accumulated sorrow through a five-phase "catch-up" mourning process. Readers will learn to use a spiritual and holistic approach to examine and integrate the ignored loss from their pasts, so that they can go on to live fuller, more balanced lives.

The Love of a Father is a personal story of the life author Faith Parker shared with her father, who gave her some of the most important treasures in her life. After his death, Faith noticed a parallel between her father and the Heavenly Father as she allowed Him to fill the void and begin a transformation process in her life. We sometimes underestimate the value of our father's love and the priceless gifts they offer. With this book, she encourages readers to look for the treasures in the Heavenly Father, cherish them, and share them with the rest of the world.

From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old. Blue Nights opens on July 26, 2010, as Didion thinks back to Quintana's wedding in New York seven years before. Today would be her wedding anniversary. This fact triggers vivid snapshots of Quintana's childhood - in Malibu, in Brentwood, at school in Holmby Hills. Reflecting on her daughter but also on her role as a parent, Didion asks the candid questions any parent might about how she feels she failed either because cues were not taken or perhaps displaced. 'How could I have missed what was clearly there to be seen?' Finally, perhaps we all remain unknown to each other. Blue Nights - the long, light evening hours that signal the summer solstice, 'the opposite of the dying of the brightness, but also its warning' - like The Year of Magical Thinking before it, is an iconic book of incisive and electric honesty.

Empathy and hope are offered in this book, built on a foundation of introspection and inspiration. Readers are brought to new understanding about suicide. Survivors are encouraged to rebuild lives and put the past where it rightfully belongs: behind them.

Bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink shares the advice that has seen her through life's ups and downs.

From her etiquette for bad news to the words of wisdom she would like to pass onto her son, How to Feel Better is full of warm, gentle guidance and comfort for when you need it most.

Previously published as A Manual for Heartache, this revised edition contains a new introduction from Cathy and an inspiring addendum of advice from other authors on what they do to feel better, whatever the world throws their way.

Having set aside age-old ways of mourning, how do people in the modern world cope with tragic loss? Using traditional mourning rituals as an instructive touchstone, Gail Holst-Warhaft explores the ways sorrow is managed in our own times and how mourning can be manipulated for social and political ends.

Since ancient times political and religious authorities have been alert to the dangerously powerful effects of communal expressions of grief--while valuing mourning rites as a controlled outlet for emotion. But today grief is often seen as a psychological problem: the bereaved are encouraged to seek counseling or take antidepressants. At the same time, we have witnessed some striking examples of manipulation of shared grief for political effect. One instance is the unprecedented concentration on recovery of the remains of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. In Buenos Aires the Mothers of the Disappeared forged the passion of their grief into a political weapon. Similarly the gay community in the United States, transformed by grief and rage, not only lobbied effectively for AIDS victims but channeled their emotions into fresh artistic expression.

It might be argued that, in contrast to earlier cultures, modern society has largely abdicated its role in managing sorrow. But in "The Cue for Passion" we see that some communities, moved by the intensity of their grief, have utilized it to gain ground for their own agendas.