Customer Reviews

good grief

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

My 20-year-old son and only child was killed in an automobile accident 11-2-99. So, my husband and I as well as many family and friends are still grieving. A good friend sent me this book during the holidays, but I just read it recently. I was amazed at how the author so simply, in only a few words, captures the essence of grieving--not only grieving for one who has died but other grieving events such as divorce, losing a job, etc. I think the book helped me most understand what my husband is experiencing because I think we are in different stages of grieving. I feel that I can better understand some of his behavior now after reading this book. I plan to share this powerful book with others, especially young people who are having an especially difficult time accepting my son's sudden death.

I was introducted to this small book when my daughter died last year. Although there is not much anyone can say at a time like that a few concise, and meaningful words have a way of causing reflection later. This book does just that. Understanding my grief is a lot of the problem with the loss. It helped.

This book was given to me by a dear friend 1 1/2 years ago after the loss of my mother. At that time I could not understand the depths that this book explores the process of loss. It takes a very simple approach to a very complex problem and comes out letting you know the emotions that you feel are normal and that you will survive. At times I felt that this book was my string to sanity. I have since made it an effort to give copies of this book to friends that have or are going through the process so that they may be comforted in some small way.

GOOD GRIEF is written in simple, down to earth, wisdom. It shares how painful and inwardly revealing the experience of living through grief can be. Granger Westberg takes the reader into the heart and soul of loss and reminds us just how sacred our human relationships really are. -- Samuel Oliver, author of, WHAT THE DYING TEACH US: LESSONS ON LIVING.

I slip this small book in with a sympathy card when a member of the church I serve loses a loved one. Yesterday a woman who had just lost her brother told me she wished she had had the book 8 years ago, when her husband died. Several people have described standing at the mailbox and reading the book, forgetting all else in the comfort of finding that their feelings are normal and to be expected. I have also shared it with a woman dealing with the accident that left her son a paraplegic, and the widow who was facing living alone for the first time in her life with her daughter's upcoming marriage. It has been a comfort and help to them all. I highly recommend the book to anyone experiencing grief.

Good Grief by Granger E. Westberg is a book that is cheap ... and short (64 pages) which I was able to read in one afternoon. It is packed with good information. Pages 24 and 24:::Even though a person does come out of the initial shock, he will undoubtedly experience times in the succeeding days and months when the unreality of the loss comes over him again. Every now and then he will say,"I just can't believe it has happened. Intellectually I know it did happen, but I guess I just have not really accepted it emotionally." For all of us the biggest hurdle is "accepting it emotionally."

This is what I am dealing with sometimes even after 11 months of living through the completed suicide of my fiance, Bob. I accept it on one point but sometimes it hits me temporarily for a few moments and it is hard to accept. The online web sites help too - groww.org, 1000deaths.com, survivorsofsuicide.com, and online support groups and SOS in person meetings.

Ann in Nashville

My mother was killed several years ago and my father read this book while he was mourning her lose. He passed away in June and I found this book in with some of his personal belongings. Being a short and easy to read book, I took the time to read it for myself. I saw that I had passed through some of the phases in this wonderfully written book. This book enlightenment me so much that I now look at death and grief in a totally different way. This is a good book for someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with wordy, preaching books.

I first read this book after I loss a father figure. I went to the bookstore and chose the thinnest book I could find because I needed help quickly. It was a great help because it guided me to know what feelings I would be experiencing, and I remember thinking "I'm not going crazy afterall." Since I first read it, I've given it to someone else. Yesterday I stood with a friend as she went to be with the Lord. I think I could use this book again. So, I'm ordering two. One for me, and one to lend. If you are having a difficult time dealing with grief, this book will help you understand your feelings -- only God can help deal with them. Together, I found them a good combination.

This is an extremely useful resource for anyone going through the grieving process. About three years ago, my daughter, who was twenty-two at the time, learned that a junior high school friend of hers had died. She was terribly distraught over this friend's death. Who wouldn't be at that tender age?

It was about a four hour drive to attend the funeral. On the way, I gave my daughter a copy of "Good Grief." It took her less than an hour to read. By the time she finished reading this little book, I could tell that she finally understood why she felt the way she did and was now ready to cope with those feelings.

At $4.99 per book, it's not going to break the bank. These are wonderful resources to put in the sympathy cards that you send. "Good Grief" offers a straight forward and common sense approach to handling and understanding the emotional turmoil that losing a loved one causes in life. It's worth the read. It's worth giving to those that you love and those that are hurting.

Grief is a journey, not a destination. This book provides a discussion of the process of grief in twelve steps. I first read this book just after my wife died of brain cancer in 1996. It was a great help in understanding what I was going through. If you are grieving, this is a great book to read. It also comes in large print for easier reading through tears.