Grief Books for Bereaved Parent
A Friend Holding Your Hand Through Your Grief
This book is honest, short and full of hope. Written shortly after the author's daughter died of leukemia, readers will identify with the raw grief and at the same time sense the hope. It is like having a friend who really understands walk with you through your grief. |
A Broken Heart Still Beats: After Your Child Dies, by Anne McCracken and Mary Semel.
This remarkable compilation of poetry, fiction, and essays eloquently expresses a parent's pain, stages of grief, and the coping and healing that follow. Many are bereaved parents themselves. Available from amazon.com.
Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child, an anthology
Each of the nine mothers who contribute to this short but eloquent volume lost a child who was in his or her teens or twenties, just beginning to fulfill the promise of their brief lives. The mothers found solace by coming together and sharing their pain. As Rita Volpe writes in an opening poem, "Together we have found new ways to live and love and remember the life." Here they share what they've learned for other parents experiencing a similar tragedy, offering concrete advice and emotional reassurance. Available from amazon.com.
Dreaming Kevin: The Path To Healing, by Carla Blowey.
An honest description of the pain of a mother who has lost her son. The author is courageous in reporting all the bumps and setbacks on her path back to God. Kevin’s death at age 5 forced his mother to examine the obstacles in her soul that fenced her from God. She did, and she found them through her dream work. Available from amazon.com.
Fires of Sorrow, by Mitch Schulz.
Within a short period of time, Mitch received two immense blows. Both his wife, Elaine, and their twelve-year old son, Travis, were diagnosed with brain tumors. Elaine lived, after a very serious operation. Travis died. The suffering they experienced could have brought them to the conclusion that God doesn't care about what happens in their lives, but Mitch Schultz describes in diary form, in an honest and open manner how they were all drawn closer to God as a family. Available from amazon.com.
Hello from Heaven!, by Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim.
A study of After-Death Communication includes firsthand accounts of bereaved parents who believe they have been contacted by their deceased children and provides messages of hope to bereaved survivors. Available from amazon.com.
I Never Held You-Miscarriage, Healing and Recovery, By Ellen DuBois
If you've miscarried, you don't need medical jargon-you need someone who understands what you're going through and doesn't dismiss it. In this groundbreaking book, author Ellen DuBois tells of her painful experiences after miscarriage and shares tools that helped get her through the toughest of times—from prayer to relaxation techniques. Available from Amazon.com
 Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy After Loss by Amy L. Abbey
Not all pregnancies end with a healthy child going home from the hospital in the arms of its happy parents. There is a little recognized reality that many pregnancies end in pre-delivery death in utero. There are numerous reasons for such tragedies, but often the loss is unexplainable. Amy L. Abbey as author and editor, has gathered the stories of almost a dozen families, and shares how the families coped with loss and went on to have successful pregnancies. Available from amazon.com.
Love Never Dies: A Mother's Journey from Loss to Love, by Sandy Goodman.
One morning at 2:45, a phone call awakened Sandy Goodman; her 18-year-old son, Jason had been electrocuted. That terrible night was the start of Goodman's journey through the black hole of unrelenting sorrow to the moment her heart began searching for answers. What she found over the course of years is that when someone dies that person doesn't simply vanish, and neither does the love and joy of knowing him. Available from amazon.com.
Meditations for Bereaved Parents, by Judy Osgood
A collection of one- and two-page meditations written by men and women of all ages who have had a child who died. The book provides an honest confrontation with grief and help for moving beyond it. Available from amazon.com.
Mourning Has Broken: Learning from the Wisdom of Adversity, by Carmella B'Hahn
Written and edited by a woman whose young son's death became her greatest teacher. Mourning Has Broken is for anyone feeling tested by life, especially those struggling with transitions such as separation or loss. This is an excellent book on how to "Learn from the Wisdom of Adversity," containing stories from those who have broken through rather than broken down. For anyone who has suffered tragic loss. Available from amazon.com.
Remembering: The Death of a Child, by Robert R. Thompson, M.D.
Dr. Thompson's experience as a father, husband, and physician allows us unique insight into the death of a child. Available from amazon.com.
Searching For My Estrella Mailí, by Gisela Castillo de Lujan.
Skillfully translated from the original Spanish , this remarkable memoir, is a poignant and deeply moving collection of brief passages, revealing the memories, grief, and healing of a bereaved mother. After losing her 14-year-old daughter to a tragic fall, Gisela was forced to pick up the pieces of her shattered family, and face the continued challenges of her life. This is a profound expression of emotion and love, and strongly recommended reading for anyone who has every lost a loved one, especially a child, to accident or illness. Available from amazon.com.
Spiritual Lives of Bereaved Parents, by Dennis Klass
Appealing to pastoral counselors, bereavement counselors, and family therapists, this insightful book describes how parents lose, find or relocate spiritual anchors after the death of their child. Available from amazon.com.
The Bereaved Parent, by Harriet Schiff
In addition to being a virtual life saver to one who has lost a child, can also be read as a sort of guide book on how to provide support and love to your friends who are coping with the loss of life's most precious gift, their child. Available from amazon.com.
The Death of a Child: Reflections for Grieving Parents, by Elaine E. Stillwell
Offers support and advice to parents dealing with children who die suddenly, after extended illness, before or soon after birth, and even death that involves war on terrorism. Topics include anger with God, communicating with a spouse, voicing emotions and coping with holidays and anniversaries. Available from amazon.com.
The Worst Loss: How Families Heal from the Death of a Child, by Barbara D. Rosof
She explains why grieving is crucial to recovery, how the partners' relationship may be affected and the ways surviving siblings grieve. She also shows parents how to break down psychological barriers that hinder necessary grief work and prevent full recovery. Available from amazon.com.
What Forever Means After the Death of a Child: Transcending the Trauma, Living With the Loss, by Kay Talbot
Integrates her clinical experience as a psychotherapist, her insider's perspective as a bereaved mother, other parents' experiences and a researcher's scholarship in order to comprehend the transformed life-world of bereaved parents. Available from amazon.com.
When the Bough Breaks, by Judith Bernstein
Looks at how to cope with the loss of a child. Can one ever recover from such a loss? The author seems convinced we do not, but offers ways to rebuild lives and recover hope and the ability to go on and not have the death of a child turn into the death of our own hearts. Available from amazon.com.
The Worst Loss, by Barbara D. Rosof.
The death of a child is like no other loss. The Worst Loss will help families who have experienced this to know what they are facing, understand what they are feeling and appreciate their own needs and timetables. Available from amazon.com.
Waiting With Gabriel, by Amy Kuebelbeck
Amy writes about the unthinkable and does it with beauty, grace and a profound understanding of the true meaning of death as it relates to the living. Ultimately, it is a mother’s goodbye kiss, and as such, it is heartbreaking, life-affirming and wise. Available from Amazon.com.
When a Baby Dies: A Handbook for Healing and Helping, by Rana K. Limbo, Sara Rich Wheeler, Susan T. Hessel
Individual stories of pregnancy and Perinatal loss, with specific chapters on miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, newborn death and loss in a multiple-gestation pregnancy. The book also addresses the family issues that occur as each person grieves differently. Additional chapters address the roles of individual healthcare professionals and include checklists which are helpful in caring for bereaved families. Available from Amazon.com.
We look forward to expanding our good grief resources to offer more services for people suffering from grief and for people who provide support for the bereaved. If you have a grief related resource, please let us know about it by adding your listing. |
Grief Resources
