Customer Reviews

How to Survive the Loss of a Child: Filling the Emptiness and Rebuilding Your Life

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After the death of our 4 1/2 year old daughter, we were given many books. This was a favorite, and I have purchased and given away copies to everyone I know who has lost a child since. It reads easily, compassionately, and is just a perfect book to read or give in this most awful of situations. I couldn't give it a higher rating.

This book was most unhelpful in dealing with my grief over the loss of my precious four-year-old daughter--my only child. The author states repeatedly that the only way to heal is to let go of your child completely, as well as all the dreams, hopes and anything else connected to your child. Wrong! This is just plain wrong. What a terrible thing to say to a bereaved parent. Our children's spirits live on and there is no reason to discard everything about them. Also, the book spends way too much time discussing the phases of grief. Why? So we can all be cookie-cuttered into nice little niches? And it spends way too much time telling us of all the things we gain when our child dies, things such as more compassion, greater flexibility and a better appreciation of life. This section of the book is just plain insulting to parents who have just lost the best thing in their lives. A bereaved parent gains NOTHING with the death of their child. I do not recommend this book to anyone.

In June of 2000, I received the news that my mother and oldest son had been killed in an automobile accident. I could not imagine how my life could continue. I went to grief counseling all that summer. My counselor recommended that I begin reading books written by parents who had also lost a child. This book was one of many that I purchased. It is an excellent source for giving hope that you can rebuild your life. I recommend it highly.

Six weeks ago My three year old daughter died unexpectedly.I am having feelings I've never experienced before. This book helped me see that I am not alone in what I am going through. The real life stories of average people who shared their loses to make this book helped me to see that I am one of a group of many who share this common bond. We know a heartache what we would hope no-one else ever as to endure. We know what it is like to have our dreams wiped out in a single moment. This book is helping me to determine what to do next.

I lost my 19 year old son in a motorcycle accident eight months ago. Since then I have read many books on bereavement and this book continues to be one of my favorites. Catherine M. Sanders is a psychologist specializing in bereavement. She has also lost a son of her own. This book is very well written, easy to understand. It not only addresses the phases of grief, it talks about emotions such as guilt and anger and how to deal with and understand it. it also discusses many other aspects of grief such as how families grieve, the affect on marriage, different child losses and how it affects grief. Towards the end she introduces tips on beginning to live once more, and makes many references to a Higher Power and spirituality. I read the first part of this book soon after losing my son, then waited and read the last few chapters recently. I wasn't ready to read about living again right away, and the ending will probably help me more later on. I will read the entire book again and again, it has been very helpful. It's positive and very compassionate. And to repeat what another reader accurately wrote: An excellent source for giving hope that you can rebuild your life. Highly recommended.

I found and purchased this book for my daughter in desperation, and to help myself, and I purchased more for everyone around us so that we could refer to it to help ourselves understand what we were experiencing in the loss of her daughter, my granddaughter. How could she and I understand all the horrendous emotions we were enduring, what was happening to us, in the face of overwhelming grief that we were suffering, and this book was of great help to us, it guided us through our emotions, so that we could identify what we were feeling. How could anyone be negative about this book I will never understand! This book was our guide and companion in our desperation. We knew where we were in the journey of grief and what to expect for all the months to follow. This book was our friend and it made us feel that we were not alone. I am a forever brokenhearted grandmother who will forever mourn the loss of my cherished granddaughter and who mourns for my bereaved daughter who will truly never recover from the loss of her beautiful 10 year old daughter.

I lost my 20 year old son my only child in June 2004. This book has been very helpful to me in starting this journey that no parent should have to make. The book has helped to calm me and comfort me. This book has helped me to feel I am not alone at this tragic time.

I love this book, have bought at least 13 of them for friends and family. My sister and I found it at a bookstore in 1995 when my son passed away from a drug overdose. It was important to me to figure out the "process" - - - this book explains "it" and lets you know where you are in the "process" - - - I always recommend it to people that I know that have lost a child AND have purchased many for friends and family. Thank you for writing a clear and concise book about the "process" for each and every one of us.

I liked this book for its discussion on all sorts of grief as well as the stages of grief. There is a place where murder is discussed as well as suicide. Also still births are covered as well as grief associated with abortion. I also liked that it talked about the effects of grief on marriage. That topic rarely comes up in other grief books, and so many couples divorce after the loss of a child. It's nice to know that and be able to strengthen the family to help combat that. What's also helpful is that the author doesn't just rely on her own experience with losing a child but she also incorporates other research and statistics to help you understand. This book was given to me when my 15 month old son died. I have now purchased it for another family who lost their son last week.

I purchased all these books for the library of the local Compassionate Friends chapter - which I am co-founder. I haven't had alot of time to totally read them all but, just scanning through, I think they will be helpful to our grieving parents. Delivery on all books was acceptable; books were in very good condition.