In the preface Reed shares excerpts from condolence letters written by the third-grade classmates of Alex's older brother, Curtis, and tells how those letters helped her grieving family.
The first chapters describe the joy felt from Alex's birth, his life, and the agony of his illness and death at two-and-a-half years; the confusion, and the struggle to continue functioning; and Reed's personal frustration with the lack of applicable information about grandparents' grief.
Following chapters look at the grief theories of various authorities and their relevancy for parents and grandparents. Information the author learned from experience, study, and correspondence with other grandparents is used in the chapters on helping themselves, helping the grieving parents, and their surviving children.
Other chapters make suggestions for memorials, and personal rituals as well as how others may assist or hurt. The closing chapter is an overview of the author's journey through grief. Appendices include selected poems, a list of resources, and a bibliography.
Intended Audience: Grandparents who have experienced a death of a grandchild, death educators, grief counselors, psychologists, clergy, college students, self-help support groups, and those who want to understand more about dying and death.
