What leads us to respond politically to the deaths of some citizens and not others? This is one of the critical questions Heather Pool asks in Political Mourning. Born out of her personal experiences with the trauma of 9/11, Pool's astute book looks at how death becomes political, and how it can mobilize everyday citizens to argue for political change. Pool examines four tragedies in American history-the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the lynching of Emmett Till, the September 11 attacks, and the Black Lives Matter movement-that offered opportunities to tilt toward justice and democratic inclusion. Some of these opportunities were taken, some were not. However, these watershed moments show, historically, how political identity and political responsibility intersect and how racial identity shapes who is mourned. Political Mourning helps explain why Americans recognize the names of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland; activists took those cases public while many similar victims have been ignored by the news media. Concluding with an afterword on the coronavirus, Pool emphasizes the importance of collective responsibility for justice and why we ought to respond to tragedy in ways that are more politically inclusive.

Tamar Granot provides practical and sensitive advice on how best to support children who have experienced bereavement or other kinds of loss. She explores the effects of different kinds of loss, including the suicide of a family member, the death of a sibling, parental abandonment and the loss of a parent through divorce or addiction. She explains how loss is experienced by children and adolescents of different ages, and looks at how the circumstances of loss and the behaviour of other family members can affect a child's reaction to it. Describing the consequences it can have for children's development Granot also discusses how adults who have suffered unresolved loss in the past themselves can understand the impact of their own experiences on their parenting and professional lives.