Life After Loss

Bereavement is a difficult topic, and it is easy to sound either too impersonal or too sentimental. However, Raymond Moody and Dianne Arcangel seem to have struck the right note here. This is a practical book, illuminating the many aspects of bereavement from early childhood experiences with grandparents and pets through to near-death experiences. It deals with loss and grief on all levels - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual - and honours the fact that there are many types of loss and many ways to grieve. It looks at how reactions to a death can be repressed at an early age only to resurface later in adult life, triggered by a further incident of loss. The book is well laid out in sections and very easy to read. It ranges widely and covers every aspect of the subject: giving and receiving sympathy, getting over a loss and even the blessings which may come about as a result of bereavement. There are many personal case studies quoted - real incidents where it can be seen how losing someone close has affected an individual. A moving example is that of Jim, a retired air force general whose wife dies. Jim keeps going and does not let himself suggest that anything is wrong. He eventually dies himself of illnesses triggered by the stress and exhaustion of hidden grief. Moody and Arcangel don't set out to give any easy answers. What they do is explore a subject which is often seen as taboo, and help us to understand more about an aspect of life which we are afraid of because it represents the ultimate unknown. The material is sensitively handled throughout, and anyone suffering from the miseries of bereavement will find it helpful, comforting and informative. (Kirkus UK)