Ginger Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I saw sdarrah1130's Library Post in the General Discussion and I thought maybe we needed to have a book resources list in this forum. I copied and pasted the Books that were posted in the General forum and then added more in following posts. If you find a book that was helpful to you or might help another widow/widower, please add it to this post. Wifeless: "A Grief Observed" by C. S. Lewis, which describes his journey through grief after losing his wife. And the first half of: "Man?s Search for Meaning . . ." by Viktor E. Frankl, in which he makes the argument that "... suffering ceases to be suffering in some way in the moment that it finds a meaning". Over the 5+ years of my widowhood, I have found this to be true. H. Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People", which I have not read but many other widows and widowers have found helpful, are mentioned in the following article that you may wish to read about recovery from grief: http://www.gapsychology.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=305 Lisapop: I was not a big reader on the subject but many people recommend I Am Grieving As Fast As I Can Catnip: I recommend "Widow to Widow by Genevieve Davis Ginsburg". I've gone back to it time and time again, and it's been 8 years for me. Baylee627 "And Life Comes Back: A Wife's Story of Love, Loss, and Hope", by Tricia Lott Williford. It's about the author's first year or so after being widowed in her early 30's, the different phases she experienced, and finally, a renewed sense of hope. The author is Christian. If you're not religious, I would still say the book is relatable, and the author's not overly preachy. Just a good read. swilson: A few I've read, many I hope to read; Widow to Widow: Thoughtful, Practical Ideas For Rebuilding Your Life ~ Genevieve Davis Ginsburg For Widows Only ~ Annie Estlund When Your Soul Aches ~ Lois Mowday Rabey Companion Through the Darkness ~ Stephanie Ericsson I Will Not Be Broken ~ Jerry White The Tender Scar: Life After the Death of a Spouse ~ Mabry, Richard Chicken Soup for The Greiving Soul ~ Jack Canfoeld, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark Seven Choices ~Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World" by Elizabeth Harper Reflections of a Grieving Spouse: The Unexpected Journey from Loss to Renewed Hope ~ H. Norman Wright's Coping with Life After Your Mate Dies ~ Cushenbery, Donald C. Getting to the Other Side of Grief: Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse ~Zonnebelt-Smeenge, Susan J. The Light That Never Dies: A Story of Hope in the Shadows of Grief ~ William HendricksA Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss ~ Jerry Sittser Finding Your Way Through Grief, A Guide for the First Year ~ Marty Tousley Waking Up Alone, Grief & Healing ~ Julie K Cicero How to go on Living When Someone you Love Dies, ~ Therese A Rando Widows Wear Stilettos, A Practical & Emotional Guide for the young widow ~ Carole Brody Fleet I Wasn't Ready to say Goodbye ~ Brooke Noel & Pamela Blair Healing After Loss by Martha W Hickman Loving What Is, Four Questions that Can Change Your Life ~ Byron Katie From One Widow to Another: Converstations on the New you ~ Miriam Neff The Grief Club ~ Melody Beattie A Widow's Story ~ Joyce Carol Oates The Sisterhood of Widows ~ Mary Francis Traveling With George: An Out-of-This-World Experience ~ Betty Waldron Portenlanger Where Do I Go from Here? - Neff, Miriam From One Widow to Another - Neff, Miriam Captains Wife: I personally liked "Saturday Night Widows", although would read this one a little further out. "A Widows Walk-a Memoir of 9-11" - would also read this one later on. I personally liked I'm Grieving as Fast as I Can (in the beginning). "The UnFaithful Widow" (also a little further out). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Books that were recommended to me. Some spoke to me, some didn't. I also pulled some resource book lists for children from the old board that I will copy into another post. Hello From Heaven - Bill Guggenheim, Judy Guggenheim (for those who believe in after life communication) I found it very interesting The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom (not resource material but a good read) Good Grief - A Novel by Lolly Winston (not resource material but a good read - was a very popular read on the old board ) When Bad Things Happen to Good People - Harold S. Kushner Widowed - Dr. Joyce Brothers Resource books: A Decembered Grief - Harold Ivan Smith Getting to the Other Side of Grief - ZonnebeltSmeenge/De Vries A Time to Grieve - Meditations for Healing After the Death of a Loved One Transcending Loss - Ashley Davis Prend, A.C.S.W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 The following is a long list of resource books that had been posted by a member (sorry I don't have the member's name) from the old board. Most have to do with children, either as a resource for adults or books children could read. (Disclaimer: I know nothing about any of these resources but thought it may be helpful to parents looking for a starting point.) Adult The Grieving Child - A Parent's Guide By Helen Fitzgerald Simon & Schuster / New York / 1992 Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Loved One, A Guide for Grownups William C. Kroen, Ph.D., LMHC Free Spirit Works for Kids/1996 Children and Grief, When a Parent Dies J. William Worden Guilford Publications, Inc./1996 Common Threads of Teenage Grief, A Handbook for Healing By Teens Who Know & Janet N. Tyson, LPC Helm Publishing/1998 No Time For Good-byes, Coping with Sorrow, Anger and Injustice After a Tragic Death-5th ed. Janice Harris Lord Pathfinder Publishing/California/2000 On Children and Death, How children and their parents can and do cope with death Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. Simon & Schuster/1997 Copyright 1983 by Kubler-Ross Helping Children Cope With Grief Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D. Muncie, Ind.:Accelerated Development Inc./1983 Explaining Death To Children Grollman EA, ed. Beacon Press/Boston/1967 Helping Children Grieve: When Someone They Love Dies Huntley T. Augsberg Fortress/Minneapolis/1991 For Those Who Live: Helping Children Cope With the Death of a Brother or Sister LaTour K. Centering Corporation/Omaha, NE/1983 Helping Children Cope With Death The Dougy Center The Dougy Center / 1998 35 Ways to Help a Grieving Child The Dougy Center The Dougy Center / 1999 Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss Hope Edelman Dell / 1995 Living With Grief: Children, Adolescents and Loss Hospice Foundation of America Brunner Mazel / Hospice Foundation of America / 2000 Helping Teens Cope With Death The Dougy Center The Dougy Center / 1998 Helping Children Grieve: When Someone They Love Dies Huntley, T. Augsburg Fortress/Minneapolis/1991 Life & Loss: A Guide To Help Grieving Children, 2nd Edition Linda Goldman Accelerated Development / 2000 Child Lost and Found: A Kid's Book For Living Through Loss Rabbi Marc Gellman & Monsignor Thomas Hartman Morrow Junior Books / New York / 1999 The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, A Story of Life for All Ages Leo Buscaglia, Ph.D. Slack Inc./1982 The Next Place Warren Hanson Waldman House Press, Inc./1997` Gentle Willow, A Story for Children About Dying Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D. Magination Press, Washington, DC The Tenth Good Thing About Barney Judith Viorst Atheneum New York/1971 Older Child Help for the Hard Times: Getting Through Loss Earl Hipp Hazelden / 1995 How It Feels When A Parent Dies Jill Krementz Alfred A. Knopf / New York / 1996 Straight Talk About Death For Teenagers: How to Cope With Losing Someone You Love Earl A. Grollman Beacon Press / Boston The Saddest Time Simon N. Albert Whitman & Co./Morton Grove, IL/1986 Younger Child I Will Always Love You Hans Wilhelm Crown Publishers / New York / 1985 It Must Hurt A Lot: A Child's Book About Death Doris Sanford Multnomah Press / Hong Kong / 1986 The Accident Carol Carrick Text / 1976 The Empty Place Roberta Temes, Ph.D. New Horizon Press / 1992 The Saddest Time Norma Simon General Publishing / 1986 When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death Laurie Kransy Brown & Marc Brown Little, Brown & Company / 1996 I Know I Made It Happen Blackburn L.B. Centering Corporation/Omaha, NE/1991 Why Did Grandpa Die? A Book About Death. Hazen BS Western Publishing/Rancine, WI/1985 Anderson's Goodbye Clifton L. Everett Henry Holt/New York/1983 Sammy's Mommy Has Cancer Kohlenberg S. Magination Press/New York/1993 It Must Hurt A Lot: A Child's Book About Death Sanford D. Multnomah Press/Hong Kong/1986 I Heard Your Mommy Died Scrivai M. Centering Corporation/Omaha, NE/1994 What's Heaven? Shriver M. Scholastic/New York/1999 Saying Goodbye to Daddy Vigna J. Albert Whitman & Co./IL/1991 I Don't Have Uncle Phil Anymore Marjorie White Pellegrino Magination Press / Washington, DC / 1999 Gentle Willow: A Story For Children About Dying Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D. Imagination Press / New York / 1993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Two more book recommendations from the old board. LauraS: Anyone longing for a sign from your spouse? You may be missing them because you don't know what to look for. "Love Beyond Life: the Healing Power of After-Death Communications" (Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski). Teal: "Life Without Lisa" by Richard Ballo. He was widowed in 1993 - Lisa was 38, he was 39, and their two sons were 5 & 6. The bulk of the book covers the first two years after her death, with the last three chapters giving his perspective at 3, 4 & 5 years out and the epilogue written 10 years out. I'd recommend it to both men & women - and while parts of it will resonate more if you have children, I think you'll appreciate the book even if you don't have children. I imagine all of us could find something in it that makes us stop & say "Oh yes - I know that feeling." It is heartfelt and heartbreaking, filled with the details and realities we have to confront - but ultimately a story of hope and healing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Ginger, thank you for pulling all of this together. It's an excellent resource list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I haven't read any of these, but this list appeared in Brain Pickings. I would like to read a couple of these for myself: Consolation for Life?s Darkest Hours: 7 Unusual and Wonderful Books that Help Children Grieve and Make Sense of Death http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/23/best-childrens-books-death-grief-mourning/?mc_cid=bb97b591d0&mc_eid=48d09ea0ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 My Father's Arms Are a Boat (it appears on the brain pickings list) is absolutely beautiful, imo; one of my forever favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacklessSally Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I can't stop crying Grief and Recovery, A compassionate guide. by John D. Martin & Frank D Ferris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DansSoulmate Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Although I wouldn't necessarily say I'm religious, several months ago one of dan's customers asked if it was alright if he sent me a book. He thought it might help me, so I agreed. What he sent me was "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young and it's just daily pieces to consider..some have been spot on for what I was feeling that day. I've made it a daily routine, first thing in the morning and it does give me peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda5 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Dan's Soulmate, My boss gave me "Jesus Calling." He gave it to me about one year before my husband died suddenly. Read what it says on March 24th, the day God called my husband home. God told me right there that I was going to lose someone I love, and give them to God. That book has been spot on for me too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DansSoulmate Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I wanted to share that I just finished "American Wife" by Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle's widow, and have so much respect for her. Her thoughts on the grief process really resonated with me. While I have had a tough time this last year, reading her story certainly reminded me that others have far bigger challenges in their grief journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirin Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 "Confessions of a Mediocre Widow: Or, How I Lost My Husband and My Sanity" by Catherine Tidd really touched me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirin Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 "Reaper Man" by Terry Pratchett - a fantasy novel about the Grim Reaper, humorous/kind/philosophical, made me feel really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toosoon2.0 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Thought I'd try reviving this thread. What's your favorite "wid lit"? Mine are (in this order; the first two are memoirs and the third a novel): Elizabeth Alexander, The Light of the World Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking and Colm Toibin, Nora Webster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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