Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief [Hardcover]

Herb Orrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

By offering the first new perspective on grieving in more than thirty years, author Herb Orrell challenges everything we've been led to believe about the grieving process. Breathtakingly honest and insightful, he shows us grief the way it really is and healing in a way that's finally possible. Through his own journey and the stories of those he's counseled, you begin to see the often surprising ways each of us can make peace with our pain.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Grief IS unspeakable, and here’s how to handle it with enlightenment, grace and aplomb." -- Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, #1 New York Times best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul

"In these pages you will find honesty, courage, love and hope, and maybe a God you can believe in again." -- Dr. James Bankston, Senior Pastor, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston, TX

From the Back Cover

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Bayou Publishing; First Edition, 2003 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886298149
• ISBN-13: 978-1886298149
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,413,092 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 Achieving and embracing peace of mind & peace of heart, January 4, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief (Hardcover)

Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief by Herb Orrell is an unusual "self-help" book written specifically for those people who find themselves entrapped in endless grief. Orrell (an ordained pastor with years of experience helping people to deal with grief in all its forms) offers informative guidance regarding the healing process, as well as cogent advice for when grieving includes being angry at God, at oneself, or at others. Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief is strongly recommended as being a powerful, meaningful, reader accessible guide to finally achieving and embracing peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of spirit.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to understand the grieving process get this book, February 21, 2003

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief (Hardcover)

It's not every day that a book comes along with a truly insightful perspective. "Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief" is one of those books. Most people are familiar with the standard view of the process of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Herb Orrell has noted that many people don't seem to make that last step and as a result end up in some sort of continuous depression. With that in mind and his many years of experience as a minister, he has come to the conclusion that there may be a stage missing. That stage would be the search for meaning.

This is a book that examines grief in detail from an empathetic viewpoint. The way from depression to acceptance involves a search for meaning in the event. When we search for meaning and ask "Why" the traditional religious reaction is not to even attempt an answer but to point out that asking "Why" is wrong. The author walks us through his experience and his questioning of why bad things happen to good people. Why do children starve? Why does God allow a child to continue in an abused home? Asking why is not wrong, but part of our normal search for meaning.

Herb Orrell examines the role of fear, anger, and atonement in moving through grief from a very personal perspective. This is a highly recommended book with a truly innovative view on working through the stages of grief.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Explanation of the Grieving Process, July 28, 2003

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief (Hardcover)

"There is a miracle waiting for all who grieve." ~Herb Orrell

Grief is not easy to speak about. We hide it from those we love. Everyone has a way of dealing with emotional pain.

Herb Orrell presents a book for those who think "they might never get over" their loss or have questions about why God would allow grief into their lives.

When you are in the middle of a raging sea, you can't always see the safety of the shore. Your anchor doesn't keep the waves from crashing over you and sometimes it doesn't seem like anyone says the right things to you. Sometimes it almost feels that people are making fun of your feelings when really, they might just be trying to brighten your mood. That is probably not what you want in the middle of grief.

That is when it is time to read a book. "Unspeakable" is a quiet conversation with an author who is able to explain the grieving process in detail. Finally someone understands!

Herb Orrell is an ordained pastor who has counseled souls in their darkest hours. He knows there is a hidden stage in the grieving process.

Herb Orrell speaks about the following issues:

The Hidden Stage in the Grieving Process
Learning to Pretend
Forbidden Fruit
On the Tip of the Tongue
A Preexisting Condition
America's Self-Helpnotic Trance
Virtual Spirituality
Our Deepest Fear
Beyond Atonement
Unspeakable
There Isn't a Moment to Lose

What if your grief could launch you into a new path of spiritual renewal and new life?

Herb Orrell's book will show us why we look for meaning in the midst of trama. Why "meaning" plays a critical role in our recover. He also explains PTSD.

If you have ever been mad at God, then this book will also be of interest to you. I have always felt it was healing to tell God I was mad at him, to look up at the sky and ask: "Why are you doing this to me?" because normally I figure out why and can take a new direction in life that is more fulfilling than the path I was on before the tragedy occurred. Sometimes it was a decision I made and sometimes it is beyond my understanding.

It seems God allows suffering in our lives so we will love him more, not less. It just takes us a while to get from our intense grief to the place of feeling safe in God's love again. There is a shore and a safe place to run to but perhaps we have to pull up the anchor, ride the waves of grief and sail home to God.

You can be healed from grief and this book will show you that it is OK to tell God you are angry. After all, even Jesus asked God why he had been forsaken.

It has occurred to me on occasion that grief comes into our lives so we can realize how much we really do love God. Eventually you do start to see your pain as a way for God to change your life. This books shows us that there is still a God you can trust.

Additional Selections:

The only way I know to overcome grief is to give so much love away that my pain turns into love and flows out into the world.

I can also highly recommend: "A Grief Expressed" by Marta Felber

~The Rebecca Review