Customer Reviews

To Find Hope: Simple Wisdom for Those Who Grieve

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"To Find Hope: Simple Wisdom for Those Who Grieve" is a series of short thoughts for individuals going through the grieving process. In a foreword, author Karlene Kay Ryan explains that her 19-year old son was killed in a car accident in 1986; she describes this book as "a simply written synopsis of wisdom born from experience."

I think that what she has written is applicable to various situations of grief. But several of the entries are specifically about dealing with the loss of a child, so if you get this book for someone dealing with another kind of grief, they might find these sections disorienting. Also, this book is very much geared towards a theistic audience (one's relationship with God is mentioned several times), so it is probably not appropriate for readers with a more secular orientation.

Overall, I found this to be a compassionate and gentle book with some good practical advice. She includes some practical exercises for the grieving parent. However, I should note that two of her exercises are not environmentally friendly (one suggests releasing helium balloons, and another suggests scattering ripped paper in the wind). Much of the book has a "New Age-y" feel, such as when she says "You will be one with God and your child."

Overall, I respect Karlene Kay Ryan for taking her personal grief and using her experience as a way to help others. Whatever its flaws or limitations, "To Find Hope" is an admirable book which, I believe, has the potential to bring peace to many.