50 Ways to Love Your Leaver by Dwight
Webb. This book represents the author's own personal journey following
the breakup of his own marriage. His thoughts are a kind of a "road
map" of the grieving process for others traveling the same path. He
helps you discover your own personal way of grieving, learn to express
yourself in healthy, productive ways, and avoid the blame and
bitterness that can seriously affect your
physical, social, psychological, spiritual and sexual life.
Some of the 15 chapter
titles
include Grieving Your Lost Love, Going Inside, Intimacy & Loss,
Moving
Beyond Anger, Purging the Ghosts, The Magic of Optimism, Roadmap for
Healing,
Sources of Strength and Taking Action. Many of the chapters contain
graphs,
charts and exercises to help you understand and work through your grief.
From the Rebuilding Series
at
Impact Publishers (Atascadero, CA 800-246-7228) in 2000, this 155-page
book
sells for $14.95 (trade).
A Decembered Grief: Living with Loss while
Others are Celebrating by Harold Ivan Smith. This is a book is a
collection of
two- page devotional thoughts directed at those who have lost loved
ones
during the holiday season. It is the author's purpose that the various
quotes,
prayers, scriptures and comments will encourage the griever to allow
God
to transform the sad season into a time of grace and healing. Smith
says
this is done "through moments, through songs, through scents, through
people,
through memories, through hopes."
Some of the 55 devotional titles
include the following: Anticipate the Holidays, Ask Your Church for
Help, Carolize Your Season, Celebrate Sensitively, Create New
Traditions, Cry If You Want To, Guard Your Heart, Invite God's Help,
Network with Other Grievers, Say Your Loved One's Name, Unplug the
Christmas Mania, and How to Pray This
Holiday Season.
From Beacon Hill Press (Kansas
City) in 1999, this 134-page book sold for $11.99 (trade cover).
A Tearful
Celebration by James E. Means. This is the
story of how a widowed man's grief-born doubts and isolation leads to a
toughened faith. Author James E. Means,
as associate professor at Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, was
unable
at first to understand why he lost his wife through death, but he was
soon
astonished at what God was teaching him in the darkness.
This book is for those
mourning as well as for the rest of us as it provides welcome
preparation for keeping your eyes on God whenever the lonely journey
comes. A few of the chapter
titles are: Has God Failed Me?, Shall I Blame God?, Why Must I Hurt?,
How
Shall I Handle Grief?, How Does a Christian Face Death?, and What Does
the
Future Hold?
This 109 page book is a 1985
release from Multnomah Press and sold for $5.95 (trade).
Afterloss by Barbara Hills LesStrang. This book is a good
recovery companion for those who are grieving over the loss of a
relative or friend. It was written out of the author's own struggle
with grief, that of losing her mother through death. She not only
shares her own story but also that of others who forged a path through
loss and despair to full recovery and new life. The book show you how
to work through your grief and how to communicate your needs to others
so they can better understand and help as you move
through grief to recovery.
The 31 chapters are divided
into three major sections: Prayer for Recovery, Decisions for Recovery,
and Reaching for Recover. The middle section contains 21 chapters or
stories of different people who talk about their particular loss. These
stories cover losses due to suicide, a terrorist bomb, cancer, heart
attack, crib death, AIDS, plane crash, murder, divorce, work-related
accident, and an automobile wreck. Each story offers encouragement and
practical suggestions. The book concludes with
the Afterloss Credo which consists of 11 statements that one makes and
affirms
to oneself on the road to recovery.
From Thomas Nelson
Publishers
in 1992, this 230-page book sold for $14.99 (hardcover).
After the Locusts by
Jan
Coleman. In short this book is about "restoring ruined dreams,
reclaiming wasted years." The book is for any woman who has experienced
the pain and loss of a ruined dream, whether it be a failed marriage,
death of a loved one, financial ruin or another calamity. When this
happens it often feels like there has been a swarm of locusts invading
their lives, turning day into night and bringing wasted years. But the
author assures women who face loss that this is an opportunity to
depend
on God and be restored to wholeness. Her lessons come from the Book of
Joel coupled with powerful stories of ordinary women who found renewed
meaning for their lives after the locusts paid an unwelcome visit.
Some of the 17
chapter titles include: The Big Bug Blitz, Just How Long Is This
Dry Spell?, Detour through the Desert, Bloom Again, Wash Your Hands
and Throw in the Towel, One Stitch at a Time, A Clean Sweep, Great
Expectations, Closing Ranks, Hitched to the Plow with God, Bringing in
the Sheaves, and Faith into Fact.
From Broadman & Holman
(Nashville, TN) in 2002, this 179-page book sells for $10.99 (trade).
After Weeping a Song by Velma Darbo Brown. The author's
theme is that weeping--the grief process--is necessary in dealing with
the loss of a mate, but a song--the decision to live again in spite of
the loss--is also necessary.
In this book Brown has
shared
the experiences of her late husband, H. C. Brown, Jr., reacting to the
death of his first wife through the early, intermediate, and later
stages of grief. Velma Brown has shared her own experiences reacting to
the death of H. C. through these same stages of grief. She gives
attention to the spiritual resources
used by both: prayer, the Bible, worship, the Christian community, and
Christian
service.
From Broadman Press in 1980,
this book sold for $5.95.
Beginning Again by Terry Hershey. Losing someone through
death or divorce can break one's heart and spirit. The author's advice
on surviving heartbreak gives freedom from the past and hope and
encouragement for the future. His recovery steps include: realizing
your self-worth and happiness do not depend on another person or
events, controlling your thoughts and
emotions, getting out of the "self-pity closet," ceasing to focus on
the
person who is gone, and understanding that aloneness is a "gift from
God."
Hershey's 13 chapters
include: Crazy Time, Beginning with Honesty, Who Owns You, Relating to
the Ex-Spouse, Remarriage, and Beginning Again. There is also a section
at the end which gives discussion questions on each chapter.
Published by Thomas Nelson
in
1986, this 174-page book sold for $7.95 (trade).
Beginnings: A Book for Widows by Betty Jane Wylie. Out of
her own experience of losing a husband through death, the author writes
this
book which is a survival manual for widows. Her main theme is that "a
widow
need not and indeed must not herself be forever mired in sorrow."
In this book, Betty Jane
strips away the stereotypes surrounding widows and suggests what people
at a loss for words can (and should not) say to widows. She shares how
she managed
to survive the crisis of her husband's sudden death and offers direct
advice on how to cope when life seems at its bleakest. She offers
support and comfort while explaining many crucial--and too frequently
ignored--issues such as the mourning period; what to expect from
society; companionship; faith in God; preparing a budget; finding a
job; deciding whether or not to move and sell the house; sex; even
cooking for one.
Published by Ballentine
Books
in 1984, this 160 page book sold for $2.95 (pb).
The Comforter by Doris Sanford. This little 32 page book
has a twofold purpose: to comfort the one who is suffering and to give
counsel to the one who would help the sufferer. The author, a widow,
knows what
would help someone in grief and helps those in pain to see hope at the
end
of their heartache. She reminds us that healing is a personal journey
that
is different for each person and for each set of circumstances.
From Multnomah in 1989, this
gift-book sold for $4.95.
Coping with Life After Your Mate Dies by Donald C.
Cushenbery and Rita Crossley Cushenberry. The purpose of this book is
to offer a better understanding of how one can cope with the death of
their spouse and how
to survive in the fullest sense of the word. It not only deals with
such
emotions as depression and loneliness but also speaks to the issues of
dating
and remarriage. Selected Bible verses are noted to undergird the
authors'
points. The book was written out of the actual experiences by these
authors
and contains numerous case studies of others who have gone through
similar
experiences.
Some of the chapter titles
are: Living with the Grief, Handling Your Finances, Caring for Your
Physical
and Emotional Needs, Making Living Arrangements, Moving Ahead with Your
New
Life, and Contemplating Remarriage.
From Baker Book House in
1991, this 86 page book sold for $6.95 (trade).
Dreams that Help You Mourn
by Lois
Hendricks. The author wrote this book for the wide audience of everyone
who
has lost a loved one through death and everyone who is a caregiver to
those
dealing with grief. She presents many examples of dreams to demonstrate
how
they serve a purpose. Dreaming after the death of a loved one is
normal, its
"the soul's way of mourning," she says.
The 13 chapters are divided into
thee parts: Dreams Shared with Me, Dreams Shared in Literature, and
Other Aspects of Dreaming and Mourning.
This 172-page book was published
in
1997 by Resource Publications (1-888-273-7782) and sold for $15.95
(softcover).
Don't Take Away My Grief
and Comforting Those Who Grieve Both of these books were
written by Doug Manning and both offer guidance on how the bereaved can
cope with the loss of a love one
and recover from their pain.
The first book is subtitled
"What to Do When You Lose a Loved One" and is mainly for the bereaved
person. It deals with some of the important areas as the choice of a
minister, family dynamics during stressful times, and personalizing the
funeral service. It also helps the reader face up to grief, find some
answers to the great "Why?" question, and learn to live again.
The second one is subtitled
"A Guide for Helping Others" and is primarily for the pastor or
counselor. It offers practical and caring ways to help those in
mourning. He discusses
the importance of the funeral, explains the grieving process, and
outlines
how friends can help.
Both are from Harper & Row and
were published in 1984 and 1985 respectively. The first one contains
129 pages, the second 71. Each sold for $6.95 (trade).
Early Widow by Mary Jane Worden. As the subtitle suggests
this is "A Journal of the First Year." The author's husband was killed
by a drunk driver on a rainy night. But from the beginning of this
tragedy, she decides not to be a victim of her fate but to take hold of
life. Depending on God to pull her through, she faces her grief
deliberately, all the while coping with her children's tears as well.
Not all of her questions are answered and
not all her sorrow forgotten. But she does move from confusion to
strength and from dependence to independence. Her journey and journal
will comfort those who experience loss and inspire all to a renewed
faith.
Published in 1989 by
InterVarsity Press, this 189 page book sold for $14.95 (hard). From
One Widow to Another by
Miriam
Neff. Written by a widow after 41 years of marriage, the author
offers insights into the various emotions, stages and relationships
that the widow will encounter on the way to wholeness again. The book
will help any widow to navigate
the mine fields of vulnerability and depression to discover the
comfort that God and His Scripture offers. The book contains many
practical suggestions to help the widowed peerson not only cope with
the
reality of losing a spouse to death but of how to deal with the
aftermath of so many issues ranging from legal matters to the changing
relationships of family and friends.
Some of the topics dealt with
include emotions, fear, money, giving and receiving comfort and friends
and family.
Additional topics include finding yourself, your mission and a new
faith. The various appendices deal wth children issues, starting a
widows group, tips for widows and financial helps.
From Moody Publishers (Chicago) in
2009, this book of 218 pages sold for $13.99 (trade). Getting to the Other Side of Grief by Susan J.
Zonnebelt-Smeenge, Ed.D, and Robert C. De Vries. D.Min. & Ph.D.
This book is aptly subtitled, Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse. Both
authors, one a clinical psychologist and the other a pastor/professor,
share their own personal experiences having suffered the loss of a
spouse at a relatively young age. Their empathy, valuable psychological
insights, biblical observations, and male and female perspectives will
help you experience grief in the healthiest, most complete way so you
can move forward to embrace the new life waiting for you.
The nine chapter titles are:
Why Grieve?, How Do You Grieve?, What is the Grief Process?, How Can
You
Take Charge of Your Grief?, How Can You Proceed in Your Grief?, How
Does
Gender Affect Your Grief?, How Can You Be a Grieving Parent?, What
about
Financial and Employment Issues? and What Is the Other Side of Grief?.
This 122-page book was published
in
1998 by Baker Book House and sells for $12.99 (trade).
Grief Adjustment Guide by Charlotte A.
Greeson, Mary Hollingsworth, and Michael Washburn. This book offers
professional
advice as well as practical pointers on how to deal with grief and to
adjust
to a new life. It provides plenty of space for recording important
information and to keep track of the innumerable details that must be
handled following a death in the family. It also provides a place for
recording one's happy memories and feelings of loss.
The 16 chapters deal with
such issues as planning the funeral service, beginning again, recording
your
progress, getting organized to survive, finding supportive
relationships,
helping children with their grief process, legal planning, settling the
estate,
household planning, and emotional and financial planning.
From Questar Publishing in
1990, this 255-page workbook sold for $15.95 (trade).
Grief and
Sexuality: Life after Losing a Spouse by Rachel Nafziger
Hartzler. The author,
now a pastor in the Mennonite tradition, says in the Preface, “This
book traces
issues faced by people following spousal death.” The focus of the book
“is on
how to live well in spite of the challenges, difficulties, and crises
along the
way and how to grow through unpleasant, undesirable life experiences.” The
five
chapter titles are: Loss and Suffering, Lament: Responding to Loss and
Suffering, Learning and Transformation, Living Well Beyond the Crises,
and
Implications for Pastoral Care. In these chapters the author
incorporates
various demographic studies, Scripture passages and the results of
personal
questionnaires to offer a comprehensive study into the different layers
of
losing a spouse. The final chapter offers valuable insights into how to
minister to widowed persons.
From Herald
Press (Scottsdale, PA) in 2006, this 243-page book sold for
$14.95 (trade cover).I Tell You a Mystery by Johann Christoph
Arnold. This is a valuable book for those families grieving over the
death of a
loved one or for members of the care-giving community who offer
counseling
and comfort in times of death. The book is filled with actual stories
of
pain, and death, and faith of people in the Bruderhof communities. It
paints
a compelling picture of the power and presence of community, and the
endurance of faith in the face of terror, anguish, and loss. While the
book is about dying, it is really about living purposefully and fully.
Some of the 23 chapter titles
include: Despair, The Spiritual Battle, When a Baby Dies, Courage, Love
and Death, No One Knows the Hour, Accidents, When Medicine Ends, In
God's Hands, Suffering, Faith, Prayer and Healing, Caring, Dying,
Grieving, Resurrection, and Fulfillment.
From Plough Publishing
(800-521-8011) in 1996, this 176-page book sold for $12.00 (trade
cover).
Instantly a Widow by Ruth Sissom. The author
shares her personal story and her most intimate conversations with the
Lord so
we can see how He is faithful to provide strength and the eventual
peace.
We learn that we will never stop loving or remembering our loved one,
but
we can find a way to go on living a productive and fulfilling life.
Her nine chapters include:
Peace in the Midst of Panic, Meanwhile, Where is God?, Healing
Memories, Beginning the Long, Uphill Climb, Accepting--Adjusting, I
Will Never Leave You, Bringing Good Out of Tragedy, Your Maker Is Your
Husband, and The Choice Is Mine.
This 89-page book was
published in 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and sold for $6.95 (trade).
Life After Loss by
Bob Diets. In short this book is a positive, personal guide for dealing
with death,
divorce, job change and relocation. In it the author, a United
Methodist minister,
gives practical advice on what you can expect in the future, how to
deal
with the holidays, anniversaries and family events; how to cope, let go
and
set new goals; and, how to deal with anger, fear, guilt, confusion,
stress,
emotional highs and lows, and depression.
Of the 16 chapters, some of
the titles are: Loss and the Mourning After, Four Key Facts about
Grief, Use and
Abuse of Religion, Choosing to Live Again, and Opening New Doors. In
addition,
there are three value appendices dealing with: Words that Describe
Feelings,
Role of Nutrition in Grief Recovery, and Forming a Support Group.
From Fisher Books in 1988,
this 226 page book sold for $7.95 (trade). Letting Go with Love: The
Grieving Process by Nancy O'Connor. Psychologist/author O'Connor
offers a resource for those in the midst of grief, for those
anticipating a death, and for those
emotionally trapped by unresolved grief that may have lingered for
years.
In this 187-page book
she shares her stories of those she has counseled in grief and her own
personal experiences with loss. Her book extends the research of Dr.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross by including chapters that focus on each type of
loss: death of parents, children,
spouse, friends, suicides, death of the self, and public figures.
A comforting tone
assures the reader that every type of loss can be survived, as the
process of grieving helps the spirit heal. It offers personal
sensitivity to each reader in
the unique, painful struggle with loss.
Published in 1984
(revised in 1992) by La Mariposa Press (Box 13221, Tucson, AZ 85732,
520-326-9292), this book sold for $12.95 (trade).
Living with Dying by Glen
W. Davidson. This revised and expanded edition includes helps for
coping with AIDS and guidance for single-parent families. It was
written to help relatives and friends of seriously ill patients to help
them understand the emotional needs of their loved one and respect
their own feelings as well. It helps answer such questions as "What
should I do?" "What is expected of me?" and "Should I be feeling this
way?"
The six chapters deal with
death and loss, change, conflicts, suffering, and triumph.
From Augsburg in 1975, this
111 page book sold for $5.95 (trade). A study guide is included to help
the reader in either a private study or a group setting.
Meditations for the Widowed and Meditations for the
Divorced by Judy Osgood (editor). These two books are compilations
of meditations
that have been edited by Judy Osgood. The format is basically the same
for
these books, namely an opening quote, a one-page meditation, and a
closing
one line prayer. Both books contain about 50 one-page meditations from
people in all walks of life who have been through and experienced that
particular pain--divorce or death of a spouse. They share anger, their
despair, their agony...but they also share their insights and
discoveries that have enabled them to rebuild their lives and find joy
in living again.
In addition to the two books
above, Osgood has also compiled a similar book of meditations for
bereaved
parents. All these books should be helpful reading to persons
struggling
with these pains.
The three above books were
published in 1987, 1985, and 1983 respectively by Gilgal Publications,
Box 3386, Sunriver, OR 97707. Each one sold for $5.95 (trade).
Mending by Dorothy Hsu, is a collection of thoughts of
the pain and healing of a widow's first year. She describes her journey
through grief...a walk without her husband but with the Lord. The first
intense hours...her slow, insecure steps forward...and then spiritual
growth that enables her to walk confidently, "knowing that he is just
ahead, behind, and beside." It is about the questions she asked and the
answers she found...of a faith that helped her accept a new
life...without fear...without shame....or bitterness.
Published by David C. Cook
in
1979, it sold for $1.95 (pb).
The Mourning After: How to Manage Grief Wisely by Stanley
Cornils. The pastor-author writes this book to help those who have
experienced loss due to death but he says that the same techniques can
be used to help in
other situations of losses. The purpose of the book is to help you
understand
what is happening to you, why you feel the way you do, and why you
sometimes
might be tempted to believe that you are losing your mind.
Some of the 18 chapter
titles
include: There Is Help for Your Grief, We Must Face It, Grief Is an
Emotion,
The Work of Mourning, The Manifestations of Grief, Expression or
Suppression,
Tears and Talk, Emancipation, Readjustment, Guilt Feelings, Abnormal
Grief,
Religion and Grief, and The Pathway through Grief.
Published by R & E
Publishers (468 Auzerais Ave. Suite A, San Jose, CA 95126,
408-977-0691) in 1990, this 91-page book sold for $6.95 (trade). The Path of
Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot. As the subtitle says, this book
is about
“Finding your way through the wilderness to God.” This wife who has
lost two
husbands, one murdered as a missionary and the other taken by cancer,
gives
hope to the lonely thorugh tender reflections on God’s love for us and
His
plans to bless us. Through honesty and compassion, she tackles this
difficult
topic with grace and fith, showing you how to make peace with
loneliness,
however it has come, and how to grow through it. Some
of the 26
chapter titles include: The Gift of Widowhood, Death is a New
Beginning,
Married but Alone, A Share in Christ’s Sufferings, A Strange Peace,
Turn Your
Solitude into Prayer, Spiritual Maturity Means Spiritual Parenthood and
A Gate
of Hope.
Originally published
in 1998, this updated version of 196 pages was published in 2007 by
Revell (Grand Rapids, MI) and sells for $12.99 (trade cover). Recovery from Loss by Lewis Tagliaferre and
Gary L. Harburgh. This book was written by two men: one who has
experienced the death of his wife after 31 years of marriage, and the
other, a seminary professor, who brings his clinical experience to the
work. Their combined insights help to understand the grieving person as
a whole person who has a unique personality and personal values that
will affect how grief is resolved. It offers something new in showing
how different persons deal with grief and it offers a message of hope
and possibility.
The nine chapter titles are:
20 Steps of Grief, Acknowledge, Feel, Substitute, Detach, Reconstruct,
Personalities and Grief, Creating New Relationships, and Loss and
Dysfunctional Families.
Published in 1990 by Health
Communications, Inc. (Deerfield Beach, FL), this 191 page book sold for
$9.95 (trade).
Recovering from the Losses of Life by H. Norman Wright. In
this book the author shows how to respond to life's inevitable losses
in a positive manner by offering insightful keys from the Bible and his
own experiences. He offers help on how to take charge of loss, face
problems in grief and
recovery, and adapt to the new roles that come with change. This book
will
help a person make all the necessary transitions for moving through a
season
of loss to a season of tremendous spiritual growth.
Published in 1993 (revision
of 1991 edition) Fleming H. Revell Company, this 220-page book sold for
$9.99 (hard).
She Never Said Good-Bye by Robert Dykstra. As the subtitle
says, this book is about "One man's journey through loss." It clearly
and grippingly reflects the range of strong emotions, questions, and
wrestlings the author experienced following his wife's sudden suicide.
While its central focus
is grief and loss, it also explores husband/wife relationships, loving
and
being loved, the humanity of pastors and other mere mortals, and God's
infinite mercy and pervasive grace.
Some of the chapter titles
are The Lonely Journey, When All Seems Lost, Wondering Why, Guilt,
Anger, Depression, and Resolution.
From Harold Shaw Publishers
in 1989, this 119 page book sold for $7.95 (trade).
Single Again: Survival Kit for the Divorced and Widowed by
Stephen M. Miller (editor). This book is described as a survival kit
for those who have been married but are now suddenly single. It is
actually a collection of materials and instructions written by popular
authors of books for singles. Some of the chapters (with author's
names) are: By Death or Divorce (Amy
Ross Mumford), Custody of Myself (Jason Towner), I'm So Lonely I Could
Die
and Rediscovering Happiness (both by Jim Smoke), Dealing With Your Ex
and
Stepparenting (both by Archibald D. Hart), Sex and the Single Adult and
Wrong
Reasons for Marriage (both by Harold Ivan Smith) and Financial Survival
(Jerry
McCant).
This book, which comes with
a leader's guide, is designed for a Sunday school elective to be
studied weekly in 45-minute sessions for 13 weeks. It can be adapted to
fit evening programs, retreats, camps, etc.
The kit was published in
1985
by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. The pupil's book sold for $2.95
(trade) and the leader's guide for $1.95 (trade).
Starting Over by Joyce J. Tyra. This book is about
starting
over when marriage ends. Drawing on stories, including her own, of
women
whose lives have been shattered by divorce or death, the author offers
understanding and inspiration. She describes the recovery process and
offers hope that even
broken lives can be made anew.
Some of the 15 chapter
titles
include: Endings: Single Again, And They Lived Happily Ever After Fairy
Tale,
This Can't Be Happening, Who Said, "Big Girls Don't Cry"? Picking Up
the
Pieces, Getting Back on Your Feet, Opening New Doors, Second Time
Around?
and Beginnings: Moving Forward!
From Herald Press
(Scottsdale, PA) in 1992, this 96-page book sold for $5.95
(trade).
The Toughest Days of Grief by Meg Woodson. This is a
general book that deals with overcoming the hurt and grief of losing
someone you
love whether it be though death or divorce. The author writes out of
her
experiences in losing both her children as well as her professional
experiences
as a grief counselor. Through the book she offers compassion and
practical
advice that can help you make it through the darkest and loneliest of
days.
She shows you how to cry when you can't, how to deal with your guilt,
how
to be angry and do no harm, how to live with those who do not grieve
your
way, how to make up with God, and how to feel safe with the future.
Her 11 chapters deals with The
Special Pain of Special Occasions, Your First Vacation, Sad Days,
Lonely Days, and Your First Day back in Church. She also has several
chapters devoted to helping you handle specific holidays and other
occasions such as your loved one's birthday and death day.
From Zondervan in 1994, this
188-page book sold for $10.99 (trade). Traveling
through Grief by Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeenge, Ed.D., and Robert
C. De Vries,
D.Min., Ph.D. . As the subtitle says, this book is about “Learning to
live
again after the death of a loved one.”This
book takes the reader on a journey toward life after
death,
focusing on five common tasks of grief: Accepting the reality of death,
embracing all the emotions associated with death, storing memories,
separating
oneself from the deceased, and reinvesting fully in one’s own life. Throughout
the
book the authors use the metaphor of traveling to describe one’s
journey through
grief. Here are some of their eight chapter titles: Detour Ahead!, No
U-Turn on
Your Journey, Saying Good-Bye to the Old Road, Setting My Sights on a
New
Direction, Heading for a Clear Road Ahead, Taking the Children Along on
the
Grief Journey and The End of the Detour-Making it to the Other Side of
Grief.
The authors approach the subject both from a mental health as well as a
Christian perspective; each chapter has a section of each. The mental
health
perspective helps the reader to understand the grief process from a
clinical
view point and the Christian perspective adds comforting thoughts from
Scripture to help bring peace and healing. From Baker
Books (div. Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, MI) in 2006, this 160-page book sold for
$12.99 (trade). Turning Your World Right Side Up (See
under Divorce
& Separation)
Turn Again to Life by Abraham Schmitt. This is a book
about
how to grow through grief and is written by a Christian theologian who
has
been called "the death therapist" because of his concentration in this
area.
The author's three-fold
purpose is: 1. to help people begin to contemplate losses before they
occur, 2.
to help those struggling with a loss that they may find direction for
coping in a more productive way, and 3. to help readers to gain courage
and insight to reach out to those around them who are coping with
grief. The central
message is that grieving persons need friends more than ever before.
The first two chapters deal
with the excruciating loss through teenage suicide. Chapter three
describes the phases of the grief process. Chapter four describes a
woman turned to life after she assumed she was dying; chapter five
shows how we need to choose repeatedly to collide with death in order
to live. Additional chapter titles include: Helping Children Express
Grief, Unhealthy Dying and Unhealthy Grieving, A Battered Heart Finds
Courage, Let God Do the Healing, and Turn Again to Life.
This 133 page book was
published in 1987 by Herald Press for $8.95 (trade).
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by
Michelle McKinney Hammond. As the subtitle says, this book is about
"The Path toward Healing and Hope" for those who have been wounded by a
betrayal, a deep disappointment or a failed relationship. The author,
speaking out of her own experiences, advises the brokenhearted that its
time to start the process of healing and that can be done by letting
God bring you back to life.
Some of her ten chapter titles include, Ouch!, Hell
Hath No Fury, Coming Clean, Balloons in the Wind, Rebuilding the
Temple, The Woman in the Mirror, Embracing the Altar and Facing
Tomorrow. Each chapter begins with an appropriate scripture passage and
contains some reflective questions with space to do your journaling.
Published in 2001 by Harvest House (Eugene, OR),
this 188-page book sells for $9.99 (trade). What Can I Do? By Barbara A.
Glanz.
As
the subtitle says, this book offers “Ideas to Help Those Who Have
Experienced Loss.” In this book the author, who has experienced
numerous losses, tells exactly how to help someone we love survive a
loss. She understands what people want and need from family and
friends in their darkest hours. The book is filled with countless
suggestions of immediate practical ideas as well as long term,
specific ways to help someone move from grieving to growth, and
eventually to cherishing good memories of the deceased loved one.
Some of the 16 chapter titles are:
Choose Your Words Carefully, The Blessing of Tears, Anticipate the
Person's Needs and Offer Practical Help, Remember the Children, Share
Good Memories, Celebrate the Life of the Person, Do Little Things
that Add Joy to Someone's Day, Create Traditions that Keep the Memory
of a Loved One Alive. The book includes a listing of resources
(publications, organizations, websites, etc.) to further help the
person in pain.
From Augsburg Books (Minneapolis) in
2008, this 173-page book sold for $13.99 (trade cover). What Will Help Me? by James E. Miller This unique little
book (60 pages) is actually two books in one, both dealing with loss.
The first 30 pages deal with 12 things to remember when you have
suffered a loss;
this section offers sensitive, assuring support for people who have
experienced any kind of serious loss. It gives life-affirming ideas and
instills honest hope.
The second half is entitled,
How Can I Help? and these 30 pages deal with 12 things
to
do when someone you know suffers a loss. This part provides specific
supportive
advice for family and friends as well as other caregivers.
Published in 1994 by
Willowgreen Publishing (219-424-7916), this book sold for $5.95
(trade). When
Grief Comes: Finding Strength for Today and Hope for
Tomorrow by Kirk H. Neely, D.Min. In
this book the pastor-author shares personal stories and practical
information
to help you understand each stage and phase of grief, whether it is the
loss of
a mate, a child, a pet, a parent or a job. He also suggests symbols of
hope to
assure you of God’s care and concern along the way. The
seven chapters
are divided into three parts. Part One helps us understand our journey
through
grief and how we come to terms with death. Part Two shows how we learn
to
grieve through a continuing series of attachments and separations. And
Part
Three points us to the gifts of grace and the symbols of hope that are
ours
through the faithfulness of God. From Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI)
in 2007, this 174-page book sells for $12.99 (trade cover). When Will I Stop Hurting by June Cerza Kolf. This book
provides helpful advice for those who are grieving over the loss of
someone close. The advice is given in a manner which is both
professional and practical. It offers creative ways of easing pain and
depression. Sympathetic suggestions are given for handling holidays and
dealing with insomnia, anger, guilt,
and forgiveness. It also contains a helpful discussion of letting go of
grief and finding out how healing occurs.
From Baker House in 1987,
this 57 page book sold for $3.95 (trade). The Widower's Toolbox
by
Gerald J. Schaefer with Tom Bekkers. The book is about "repairing
your life after losing a spouse," as the sub-title says. This
toolbox is a valuable guide giving insights on how grieving widowers
can identify and resolve those immediate, overwhelming issues
following the death of a spouse. This book will help you move forward
by suggesting planed acts of kindness as a way of reflecting on your
wife. The author stresses that serving others can be a great healer. The 41 chapters
are divided into four sections: Picking Up the Pieces, Healing from
Within, Giving Back to Others and Loving Again. Each chapter focuses
on a different way you can be involved in making something good
happen out of a sorrowful event. And each chapter concludes with some
Instructions (like action steps) and a set of Journaling questions to
prompt you to record your thoughts on certain issues.
Published in 2010
by New Horizon Press (Far Hills, NJ), this 254-page book sells for
$14.95 (trade cover). Widows Wear Stilettos
by
Carole Brody Fleet with Syd Harriet, Ph. D. As the subtitle says,
this book is "A practical and emotional guide for the young
widow." It deals with taking ownership of the healing timeline, helping
your grieving children, coping with family/friends who are insensitive
and unsupportive of your widowhood, as well
as learning how to return to a life of joy and abundance. The book
also "dares" to discuss subjects such as dating, love and
intimacy as well as such topics as fashion, beauty, diet and
exercise, plus practical issues such as filing for government and
life insurance benefits and how to transition financially after the
death of a spouse.
Some
of the 15 chapter titles include: There's a Light at the End of the
Tunnel, People Say the Dumbest Things, Thinking "Inside the
Box," The "Business" of Widowhood, When Both Mommy and
Daddy, First Love, Now You'll Have Closure, To Remarry or Not to
Remarry, and Welcome to the Rest of Your Life. The book also includes
insightful quizzes, journaling for thoughts and feelings,
affirmations, "contracts," and other activities designed to
help readers actually take the steps and see recovery in the process.
Published in 2009
by New Horizon Press (Far Hills, NJ), this 223-page book sells for
$14.95 (trade cover). Will I Ever Be Whole Again? by Sandra P.
Aldrich. In short, this is a book about survival and strength following
the death
of someone you love. It was written out of the author's own personal
experience in the death of her husband. She is a living testimony that
life does go
on and writes to tell others how to pick up the pieces and move on. One
of
the things she shares in the book is that the grieving process varies
from
person to person and that it can be devastating to force the griever to
make
uneducated decisions or to hurry the emotions.
The 13 chapters include these
titles: Clowns Aren't Supposed to Die, "Donnie, You're Free!",
Understanding Grief, Moving through the Grief, How to Help Others,
Talking with a Child about
Death, Coping with Normal Depression, Coping with the Death of a Child,
Sound
Financial Decisions in the Midst of Grief, and Facing the Future. The
Simple
Reminders at the end of each chapter provide short, summary statements
to
carry with you throughout the Day. And the helpful Study Guide at the
end
of the book can be used for support-group discussion or personal
guidance
as you work through the pain and toward future hope.
From Howard Publishing (West Monroe,
LA),
this171-page book was published in 1999 and sold for $16.99 (hard
cover).
Without A Man in the House by
Wilma
Burton. The author writes from her own experiences of what happens when
your husband dies. It is for the woman who finds herself alone. It
shares
practical helps and friendly advice on coping with depression, grief,
and
loneliness through the comfort and joy that can be discovered in Christ.
Published by the Good News
Publishers in 1978 for $4.95 (pb) .
