Naming the Child: Hope-Filled Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death

The tears I shed while reading this book were tears of hope and learning. Through friends, or through my own experiences I've struggled through every event listed in the subtitle, and while this book takes you into those difficult places, the help it gives is well worth the time and tears. Naming the Child is beautifully, powerfully written. Ms Shroedel finds just the right tempo, the right tone to convey peace to a subject that is filled with unrest and grief. I feel much better prepared to help a friend who miscarries or loses a young child, and believe that for someone struggling through a period of sadness, this book, with its numerous stories of those who have walked the same path, would be a timely instrument of help...

We never know what to say to those that are grieving. This book helps educate and make those in these situations not feel alone. It's a wonderful collection of experiences and shows us that we have a loving God who still communicates with us. Quite the treasure!!

"Naming the Child" is a beautiful book, and beautifully written. The stories in the book are heart-breaking, it's true, but they also demonstrate how hope and life can arise from even the most terrible of events. Ms Schroedel discusses the wide range of emotions and experiences that grieving parents may face, including at least a couple surprises, such as "intuition" and "signs." Though I've never personally suffered the death of a child, Ms Schroedel's book gives me a window into the lives of friends who have and simultaneously reassures me that if a child of mine ever dies, both beauty and hope reside beyond and even in the grief. While "Naming the Child" is written by a Christian and does include stories about a few Christian couples, Ms Schroedel has also included the stories of numerous individuals and couples who are either "spiritual" but not Christian or who are simply not religious at all. I greatly appreciate this fact, as it means that I could feel safe giving it to anyone who has suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, regardless of creed. I highly recommend this book.

Naming the Child is like the first brilliant rays of sunlight breaking thru the storm clouds. It breaks the silence and isolation surrounding infant death by providing a very sensitive protrayal of families that have experienced this tremendous loss. I am no longer alone in my experience and I feel as if I've met some of Talia Joy's playmates who are with her on the other side.

Naming the Child is a jewel. This book offers comfort while raising awareness about our culture's fear of the grieving process. It includes interviews with parents who discuss their experience with vulnerability and strength. The book encourages health care professionals to allow grieving parents the opportunity to hold the infant. It is beautifully written - and quite relevant as I know many who have mourned such losses.