Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling [Paperback]

Michelle Linn-Gust (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2001

Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling is the first comprehensive resource for sibling suicide survivors. Michelle Linn-Gust takes the reader through the personal experience of losing her younger sister Denise Linn and weaves in the available research for sibling survivors. Michelle also journeys sibling loss through the life span. No matter how old you are, you’ll find valuable help in Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven?

Michelle explains suicide, the grief process, and how sibling death impacts the brothers and sisters left behind. She adds practical advice for how sibling suicide survivors can help themselves.

This book is also wonderful for those who want to reach out to sibling survivors including parents, teacher, counselors, and friends. Reading Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? assists them in understanding the grief process that the sibling survivor endures.

Included are resource pages filled with helpful places for sibling survivors to search for specific information.

Most significant, however, is that Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? delivers a message of hope that one can survive a sibling suicide death.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In 1993, Chicago native Michelle Linn-Gust was a junior at Ball State University majoring in journalism when her sister Denise died by suicide. The death completely altered her life. Michelle had no idea that losing her sister would force her to reevaluate everything she believed in and was important to her. Upon graduating from Ball State in 1994, Michelle moved to Albuquerque, N. M., where she pursued a master's degree in health education at the University of New Mexico. Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? was born out of a research paper Michelle wrote about suicide bereavement for a graduate class on health issues in death and dying. Michelle's own grief journey and the research paper proved how little information was available for sibling suicide survivors.

In 1995, HEARTBEAT support group founder LaRita Archibald reminded Michelle that there was no comprehensive resource for sibling suicide survivors and urged Michelle to write the book. She began work on Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? after finishing her graduate degree in 1996. She juggled teaching high school health and working on the book for three years before leaving to devote her energy to completing a project she knew was essential for sibling suicide survivors. Michelle had dreamed of writing a book since first grade but never could have imagined it would be about surviving her sister’s suicide.

In this time period, Michelle also started to give talks to schools and other organizations about Denise's death and how the loss affected her life. In 2000, she spoke at the American Association of Suicidology conference in Los Angeles on sibling suicide grief and, in May 2001, she gave a speech at the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network’s Awareness Event in Washington, D.C.

Today, Michelle, who still lives in Albuquerque, continues to speak and educate people about sibling suicide loss and suicide awareness. "I can't bring Denise back but maybe I can help someone else," she often says at the end of her talks. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chellehead Works; 2 edition (July 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972331808
• ISBN-13: 978-0972331807
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michelle Linn-Gust, Ph.D., is an international author and speaker about finding hope in times of change and loss. She is the author of several books including Rocky Roads: The Journeys of Families through Suicide Grief and Ginger's Gift: Hope and Healing Through Dog Companionship. Her first book, based on the suicide of her younger sister Denise, Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling, inspired siblings around the world in their survival after a loved one's suicide. Her second novel, Sisters: The Karma Twist, is the bookend to Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? She is the President of the American Association of Suicidology. Read more about Michelle at www.michellelinngust.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so great ..., August 10, 2005

By 

Devi (Columbus, OH, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling (Paperback)

This book was far to autobigraphical and the author's attempts to generalize her experience felt shallow. I lost my only brother to suicide not long before reading the book. It just didn't bring me any solace or increase my understanding.

On the other hand, I also read "No Time to Say Goodbye" and even though it was not aimed at siblings-only, I found it very helpful. Perhaps it was a matter of not just focusing on one single person's story.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a Survivor, January 26, 2002

By 

Janet (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling (Paperback)

As a Survivor myslef I found Do they have bad days in Heaven a wonderful book. It has hope and inspiration to continue on in this life. It gave me the information I needed for support. Michelle brought much awareness to the fielf of suicide awareness. As a sibling survivor I thank her for writing about the forgotten ones when it comes to suicide survivors. This book is an excellent resources for suicide awareness. I see this book being used by many and have already recommeneded it to many who are interested in suicide prevention and suicide support after a suicide. I am President of a local Survivors of Suicide support group. We have Do they have bad days in Heaven in our library. It has never been left with in our library because when one person is done reading it it is already into the hands of another.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book, July 31, 2001

By 

Jenni Spinner (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling (Paperback)

Linn-Gust's book is a wonderful publication dealing with a tragic problem that, while all too prevalent, has hardly been approached or dealt with until now. She's a degreed professional, but she writes from experience, and her book is neither 'mushy' or 'clinical;' neither perspective would be very much help to anyone who's a sibling survivor of suicide. Instead, everything in this book is wise, heartfelt, and helpful. Readers of "Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven?" will come away feeling that it's okay to feel grief, that what they're going through is normal, and that they're not alone. At the end of the book, Linn-Gust lists a wealth of resources for survivors to turn to after they close the covers of the book.

I've already recommended this book to a number of people, and I plan on buying it for others. Buy it for yourself, or someone you love. There's also a section for friends of sibling survivors, providing guidance on helping others work through their feelings.