Grief works : stories of life, death and surviving

Introduction -- Understanding grief -- PART 1: When a partner dies -- Caitlin -- Kayleigh -- Stephen -- Reflections -- PART 2: When a parent dies -- Brigitte -- Max -- Cheryl -- Reflections -- Supporting bereaved children -- PART 3: When a sibling dies -- Ruth -- Mussie -- Faziah -- Reflections -- PART 4: When a child dies -- Henry and Mimi -- Phil and Annette -- Reflections -- PART 5: Facing your own death -- Jean -- Barbara -- Gordon -- Reflections -- PART 6: What helps: the work we need to do to help us grieve and survive successfully -- Pillars of strength -- How friends and family can help -- Historical context of death and dying in the UK"

Death affects us all. Yet it is still the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood... In Grief Works we hear stories from those who have experienced great love and great loss - and survived. Stories that explain how grief unmasks our greatest fears, strips away our layers of protection and reveals our innermost selves. Julia Samuel, a grief psychotherapist, has spent twenty-five years working with the bereaved and understanding the full repercussions of loss. This deeply affecting book is full of psychological insights on how grief, if approached correctly, can heal us. Through elegant, moving stories, we learn how we can stop feeling awkward and uncertain about death, and not shy away from talking honestly with family and friends. This extraordinary book shows us how to live and learn from great loss.