The Mourning Handbook: The Most Comprehensive Resource Offering Practical and Compassionate Advice on Coping with All Aspects of Death and Dy

I did like this book However, it repeats itself several times throughout the book. It could have given all the same advice and been half as long. I don’t regret reading this book in fact I am glad I did but I will not read it a second time.

Helen's sub-title "The Most Comprehensive..." is spot on. It's very comprehensive and is by far one of the most useful handbooks I've read. And the inclusion "with All Aspects..." is also spot on. This books covers things you never really would think of or associate with in coping with the death of a loved one or just a death until you've been there and even then, there are things that I never thought about until I read this handbook that I'm grateful Helen wrote about so that I felt more comfortable and confident in dealing with those aspects. Losing someone you love or someone whose life or death had a profound impact on your life often leaves you stunned. Frankly, the words meant to comfort given by friends and family only add insult to injury even though they're all well-meaning. It's my hope that for anyone who does know of someone coping with a loss, that instead of words, you present this book. It's like an encyclopedia. You can flip through and read bits and pieces as you need. It's not intended to be read front to cover and most will never read every page as there are bound to be portions that won't apply. But Helen has covered a large area that death does touch upon and does so in a way that offers immediate help and provides you with more resources to help too. I really liked that there's an equal balance between providing information --a general acknowledgement and understanding being offered-- and resources. The book is helpful on its own merits, a really great tool when utilizing the references and other suggestions beyond the book, too. Acknowledgements [...] puts this book into many of their sympathy gift baskets (which is where I first got mine) along with a nice selection of other helpful, soothing gifts. Check them out, too. The gifts are beautiful and meaningful as is Helen Fitzgeralds handbook.

I found this book after losing my father a few weeks ago. I have found it to be a helpful resource and a comfort. The author uses simple language and short sections. The sections are divided so that a person can easily find the topic most needed without reading the enitre book. Highly recommended.

Death is not an easy subject to discuss and it is certainly not an easy subject to write about. Some books seem very spritual in its handling of the subject. Others miss the mark completely. This book is different. It discusses the range of feelings that those of us who grieve for the death of a loved one expeirences. What makes this book a must read for the grieving is that not only is the author a professional therapist, but she writes from experience--she lost her first husband to cancer. She adeptly combines her professional and personal experiences in such a way that I felt as if she was talking directly to me. It helped validate my feelings and have provided me with a sign that I may be able to get passed my own grief. I have been recommending this book to others who are still mourning the passage of a loved one.

"The Mourning Handbook" is excellent and it hits the nail on the head when it comes to the pain of grief! This book has brought me a lot of comfort and relief as I dealt with the unexpected deaths of several loved ones in my life. This book also helped to not be so hard on myself as I went through my grieving process. This book is very educational in explaining many aspects of bereavement. It also talks a lot about what to expect when you are grieving, how to survive, how to cope, and also how to help other people who have lost loved ones. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has lost a loved one.

I first bought this book for a British friend in Italy who thought she was going crazy because she was still subject to bouts of crying two months after her Mother's death. The book helped her tremendously. I bought my own copy when my Father died and found it as helpful as it appeared to be before death touched me personally.I could go on for more than the maximum 1,000 words and still not finish describing this book. Suffice to say that its greatest strength is that it is totally non-judgmental. There are no "shoulds," no timetables, only the constant theme that the rollercoaster of emotions that is ruling your life right now is probably perfectly normal and temporary. Ms. Fitzgerald does offer benign guidelines to help the reader decide when things might be getting out of hand and require professional help, but with no pressure. The book covers every eventuality for every type of death. The style is clear, the information easily found, the approach completely objective.