Customer Reviews

Mourning Sickness - Stories and Poems about Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss

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

 

 

This book is a collection of 49 real-life stories and poems written by mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents. All of them centre around a theme - the loss of a child. Works in this book cover miscarriage, multiple miscarriages, late miscarriage, stillbirths and infant loss. Each and every piece is heartfelt and incredibly painful, the sorrow and loss screams out of each and every page.

As someone who has had loss of her own, I related to these stories and felt huge empathy and sympathy for them. It's a heartbreaking work, but if you or someone you care about has had a loss, it's good to know there are others out there who feel how you feel, and that you are not alone.

Mourning Sickness is a collection of essays and poetry addressing the loss of a baby. The emotions of grief are on full, honest display, from silent longing to screams of anguish. Many bereaved families are unable to concentrate enough to read an entire book, making a collection such as this ideal. The cover art is stunning. The selections in this book are a profound testament to the enduring love for a miscarried or stillborn baby.

Mourning Sickness, edited by Missy Martin and Jesse Loren, brings together writings by nearly 50 writers on topics of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss. The voices, individually as well as collectively, give words to the grief of babyloss.

I wish that I could give Mourning Sickness an unreserved 5 stars, but I can't. The major flaw--and it's a significant one for me as a reader--with this otherwise stunning book is that some of the essays are fictional. Even if they are based on direct life experience, that editorial decision troubled me as I read each piece, wondering whether the contributor was taking artistic fictional license, or if I could read his or her section as memoir.

However, I still recommend Mourning Sickness, with that one reservation. I think each reader will need to decide for him or herself whether the inclusion of fiction undermines the book's integrity.

Janel Atlas, editor of They Were Still Born: Personal Stories about Stillbirth
They Were Still Born: Personal Stories about Stillbirth

Great book for help in healing. It has been 1 year since we lost her due to a miscarriage. I think the best thing that has helped me to cope is to read about other mothers and their loss, and this book does provide that no matter the loss. Highly recommended!