The Very First Grief Book Everyone Should Read

When another young widowed pastor's wife gave me this book, she said, "I know that people will send lots of books to you as they did for me. I don't know about you, but I certainly had no desire to read them. But I did read this one and it was a great blessing! It's not thick and it is easy to read."

Grieving: Our Path Back to Peace, by James R. White, became my good counselor and reference point during that first year of widowhood. I looked at it so often, and now I buy multiple copies to have on hand to give away.

Mr. White writes from experience as a hospital chaplain. He explains that the grieving process is best understood as a spiral: it includes the classic stages of grief--denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance-- but we tend to revolve in and out of them, sometimes over and over again, rather than get through one stage and pass on to another. Also, the way we process and handle the grief can put us on the upward path to peace, or the downward path to despair.

This book helped me understand my emotions, know that they were normal, and know that God was right there with me. Two very simple charts helped me identify where I was at and where I was headed. It helped me put my feelings into words, and that was no small feat!

Although full of practical advice and help for a general audience (not just widows), it's a quick read, only 87 pages. Yet it touches all the important stuff, even anger towards God. It includes the tough questions--DID God allow this? and WHY did God allow this?--and handles them with honesty and compassion. Very worthwhile!

I've probably bought 30 copies over the years to give away. And I'd love to send a copy to you, too! Add a comment today, and if your name is drawn on Aug. 2, this will be one of many books you may choose as your prize. It's a gem!