Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child [Paperback]

Ellen Mitchell (Author), Carol Barkin (Author), Audrey Cohen (Author), Lorenza Colletti (Author), Barbara Eisenberg (Author), Barbara Goldstein (Author), Madelaine Perri Kasden (Author), Phyllis Levine (Author), Ariella Long (Author), Rita Volpe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2005

The death of a child is that unimaginable loss no parent ever expects to face. In Beyond Tears, nine mothers share their individual stories of how to survive in the darkest hour. They candidly share with other bereaved parents what to expect in the first year and long beyond:

* Harmonious relationships can become strained
* There is a new definition of what one considers "normal"
* The question "how many children do you have?" can be devastating
* Mothers and fathers mourn and cope differently
* There simply is no answer to the question "why?"

This sharing in itself is a catharsis and because each of these mothers lost her child at least seven years ago, she is in a unique position to provide perspective on what newly bereaved parents can expect to feel. The mothers of Beyond Tears offer reassurance that the clouds of grief do lessen with time and that grieving parents will find a way to live, and even laugh again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Each of the nine mothers who contributes to this short but eloquent volume lost a child who was in his or her teens or 20s, just beginning to fulfill the promise of their brief lives. The mothers found solace by coming together and sharing their pain: as Rita Volpe writes in an opening poem, "Together we have found new ways to live and love and remember the life." Here they share what they've learned for other parents experiencing a similar tragedy, offering concrete advice and emotional reassurance (despite what the culture tells us, there is no closure, writes Cohen in her introduction-but there is a chance to enjoy life again). These bereaved mothers discuss frankly the force of their rage and guilt; the impact of the loss of a child on their marriages (their inability to have sexual relations, the difficulty of coming out of their own pain enough to acknowledge that of their husbands); and their ways of coping. Bereaved parents will find comfort, sympathy and support in this powerful, honest sharing of one of life's most painful experiences.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Written from the heart, the voices in this book reach out to relieve the pain of bereaved parents."
- Katherine Fair Donnelly, author of Recovering From the Loss of a Parent

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (January 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031232829X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312328290
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #631,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally I felt understood..., June 23, 2006

By 

Mom with a broken heart (Queens, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child (Paperback)

Since my son was killed in an auto accident I read every book I could looking for help. I I got more help from this book than any other...It was a like a lifeline. After reading it I bought an additional copy which I actually cut up and left parts around my home for reassurance and comfort. When someone asks me what can they do for a friend who has lost a child, I recommend this book. Since it is written by nine mothers (and nine fathers) who each have a different perspective and different way their child died, this is a book for every bereaved parent, but it is also a book that should be read by everyone. The loss of a child is a loss like no other and this book is a guide for family, friends and professionals offering insight and understanding and an inside unobstructed view into the real world of the bereaved parent.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the most horrific loss, July 16, 2006

By 

J. Hasnas Gold - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child (Paperback)

This book connects across the gulf of emptiness and loss that bereaved parents are intimately familiar with. It seems to speak the language, and address the pains that those who have not grieved a lost child can only fathom.
It is also offers hope for those who are new to this grief and describes the different way of living that now becomes life.
I recommend this book for anyone who has lost a child, or knows somwone who has. As a therapist who works with grieving parents, I can attest to the help Beyond Tears continues to bring with each additional reading.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on the subject that I've read, January 4, 2007

By 

S. Krulwich - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child (Paperback)

Candid and compelling
I am also a bereaved mother. These nine women have bared their most innermost feelings in this honest and powerful book. It is the best book I have read, (and reread), on this subject. I highly recommend it to not only to all bereaved parents, but family, friends and professionals who care enough to acquire some insight into what life is really like after losing a child. They have bravely shared their hearts and bared their souls in order to give others hope.