Sacred Wound : Healing from the Death of a Child [Paperback]

Lois Gold M.S.W. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2009

This is an account of one of life's most painful experiences--the sudden death of a child. A mother's anguish compels her to examine beliefs about what comes after death and to explore ancient healing methods in Mexico, Brazil, and Bali. At its core a spiritual odyssey, The Sacred Wound is about creating meaning from life-shattering events--events which can utterly destroy us or serve as a call to extraordinary courage and growth. A life-shattering event is a modern day "sacred wound," a wounding so profound that it pierces the soul and penetrates the veils of who we are and what we think life is about. Like a mythological hero, we will emerge from the ordeal another person. As the author says, "For three years grief was my consort, it became my teacher." This inspiring and searingly honest book is about more than survival following the death of a loved one; it is about the gift in tragedy’s other hand. It is about discovering the truth that love is the central experience of life and not simply mortality, and that this truth can emerge in ways we can never predict or expect

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This book is a memoir about the death of my only child when she was sixteen. It is the story of my journey from unfathomable pain toward healing. Every parent's worst terror is that something might happen to their child. When the unthinkable happens, you believe you will die; and part of you does. Pain is your constant companion; it becomes your teacher. Compassion and love are the healers. And surrender is the dimly lit path through your grief.

I was just like everyone else until September 29, 1991, the day my daughter was killed in a plane crash in a small mountain community in Central Oregon. In one afternoon, the life I knew vaporized. I was plunged into an abyss. There was nothing in all my twenty years of professional experience as a therapist that prepared me or that I could call upon to help me survive.

Each act of surviving tragedy is an odyssey, terrifying and inspiring. We never expect to be called and nothing can prepare us for the journey into the underworld. I wrote this book to help others who are seeking meaning, solace, and a path to healing as I was. It is the story of everyone’s journey back, and each one who returns lights the way for others.

About the Author

Lois Gold, M.S.W. is a therapist in private practice in Portland, Oregon. She is past a president of the Academy of Family Mediators, and was active in the development of mediation and alternative dispute resolution on a national level before her daughter died. Her practice currently focuses on mediation, and therapy for individuals, couples, and families. She also specializes in loss and healing and has had extensive training in shamanic healing practices. She is the author of Between Love and Hate: A Guide to Civilized Divorce, which is being updated and published under the title, The Healthy Divorce

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: FireWord Publishing, Incorporated (April 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193078211X
• ISBN-13: 978-1930782112
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing book about tragedy and hope!, May 1, 2001

By 

Ann "Book Lover, Reviewer, Writer, and Mother" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Wound : Healing from the Death of a Child (Paperback)

I can't begin to explain the effect The Sacred Wound had on me. I was reluctant to read it, afraid of the fears it would stir up about my own children, but by the end of page one, I was so thoroughly engaged in Lois Gold's tragic but somehow uplifting story I couldn't turn away. I read the whole book through in one sitting, crying all the while. Ms. Gold's story is part poetry, part heartbreaking truth. In life and on the page, she has taken the soul-rending death of her own child and somehow shown us a glimpse of light on the other side. Even in the very first days after her daughter's death, there were signs of wonder--white butterflies, a friend's near-death experience, and poignant dreams. I felt transformed by reading, as if everything in my own life was taken apart and put back together the way it should be. I was desperate to hold my own children. I was exhausted by the end of the book, and glad of it. That afternoon, when I picked up my healthy, happy daughter from school, time seemed to stop. I felt a surge of pure, quiet joy thanks to Lois Gold's honesty and courage. Whether you have lost a child or have a child, this is a life-changing book. It gets to the very core of what it means to be a parent, for now and always. It speaks to the brilliant, blinding love we have for our children, as well as the lives we must find without them. It reminds us why we are here. The Sacred Wound is a mesmerizing book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, July 30, 2002

By 

Anne Robertson Nerin Ph.D (WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Wound : Healing from the Death of a Child (Paperback)

Speaking as a clinical psychologist practicing for thirty years and as a mother who lost a 22 year old son, I found Lois Gold's book to be a jewel. It is the most THOROUGH and COMPLETE journey of grieving I have ever experienced.
I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Be Afraid To Read This Book, November 28, 2001

By 

Amy Archer (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Wound : Healing from the Death of a Child (Paperback)

Don't be afraid to read this book. It shows the road from grief to healing in an open, humane and inspiring story. It is not depressing, scary or a "downer." Lois Gold relates the story of her daughter's death and the life she has lived after that moment into small, approachable sections that lead the reader gently and kindly through the event of what every mother most dreads. If the reader has lost a loved one, he or she will recognize and be comforted by Lois' heartache, confusion and courage. If the reader has not lost a loved one, he or she will be comforted in knowing that love grows even greater and deeper after death -- whether it be for the person lost or for the world at large.