Hope is Like the Sun: Finding Hope and Healing After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death

In "Hope is Like the Sun", author Lisa Church reaches out to her readers as if she has known each and every one all of her life. Reading this book is like getting advice from a dear friend during a most trying and difficult time. And, not only does she relate with personal experiences but also details accounts of four of her closest friends who also have experienced losses themselves. The text is a support group in itself. The nicest thing about the book is it is written from a first hand perspective as opposed to a medical or scientific approach. Ms. Church does not try to explain things that often times can't be explained. She also goes to great lengths to validate the readers' feelings. And, as someone who has experienced the most devastating loss imaginable, it is a great comfort to know that someone else acknowledges my child as a person even though the rest of the world continues as if she never existed. Also, the feelings I have felt since the lost are foreign to most people I know. By reading "Hope is Like the Sun" and getting to see that the five women in the book all had similar feelings to my own, I felt that I wasn't isolated any longer and needed not make apologies for my sometimes erratic behavior that has resulted from the constant emotional rollercoaster I have faced since my loss. My appreciation to Lisa for her willingness to share her own personal grief voyage and reach out to others who have just begun their journeys with grief after the loss of a child is immeasurable.

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (07/06) "Hope is Like the Sun" is a must read for those who have lost a child by miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. I only wish that this book had been available when I suffered through my three miscarriages over a decade ago. It is much more than a clinical guide on how to survive loss as Lisa Church presents this information from a personal perspective of losing her own child. When I lost my children, I kept the pain to myself because it was something that no one ever talked about. I realize after reading this that I am definitely not alone as there are almost a million miscarriages in the U.S. every year. The personal accounts given throughout the book by Lisa Church and four of her friends who experienced losing children focus on that fragile period between having lost a child, the decision to try to become pregnant again and the overwhelming fears that a person is faced with throughout a subsequent pregnancy. Instead of glossing over a parent's feelings, this book faces the common thoughts and experiences in a practical and compassionate way. The chapters in "Hope is Like the Sun" are very easy to follow and the points to remember at the end of each chapter are great to refer back to whenever you need them. The sections with questions to ask yourself are also very helpful as your answers will provide insight to your feelings and actions. Lisa Church discusses some very important things that a person recovering from losing a child needs to consider. A few of these chapters covered topics such as how to remember your baby, help a sibling of the child through the loss, deal with other family members and friends and how to approach the holidays after a loss. "Hope is Like the Sun" is not written as a medical or psychological reference book on how to approach loss. It is a wonderful book written by a very insightful and caring woman who validates the loss of a child before birth and gives good, sound advice on how to deal with grief. I would recommend it to anyone who has suffered this loss, and to family members and friends who are trying to understand and support someone who has lost a child.

There is no more poignant or painful loss to a parent than the loss of a child, whether it be by miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. There are almost a million pregnancy miscarriages a year in the United States alone, and all too high record numbers of infant deaths. Hope Is Like The Sun: Finding Hope And Healing After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Or Infant Death follows author Lisa Church and four of her close friends as they personally navigate the difficult passage through the grief of having a child die. The result is a unique volume offering similar couples a compendium of practical tips and emotional/spiritual encouragements that can only come from personal experience and an intimate expertise. Hope Is Like The Sun is strongly encouraged and highly recommended reading for anyone having to deal with the death of a child -- before or after one is born into the family and the world.

I have never had a miscarriage, but I have both friends and family who have had to endure the pain of pregnancy loss. I have to be honest in saying that I really had no idea what was involved in overcoming the grief associated with losing a child in the early stages of pregnancy. This book was extremely enlightening and helped me to understand exactly what women go through. It also gave me ideas on how to best support them. I wish I had this book 8 years ago.