Grieving: A Beginner's Guide »

There is no sure route through grieving. Jerusha McCormack provides instead a series of signposts by which we may find our own path to a new life. "We are all amateurs at grief," she writes, "it comes to us all; we must all go through it. To treat grief as a problem to be fixed, or (worse still) to medicalize it, is to rob us of the extraordinary privilege of encountering this experience on our terms: for each of us has our own way of grieving, and each of us has something special to learn from the process."

Publishers Weekly

Working from the theory that "it takes one to know one," McCormack-widowed while her children were still young-writes a clear-eyed account of the many emotions and situations a grieving person may encounter. By her own admission, this book is "less a consolatory piece than a tour guide," and what a guide it is. An Anglican layperson and visiting professor at Beijing University, McCormack writes straight from the heart in simple language infused with a spirituality that is never preachy or pushy. She covers so much ground in such a little book that the reader could devour it quickly in hours or spend weeks reading it slowly, savoring each bit of wisdom. People suffering from loss will especially appreciate the counterpoint she provides to all the well-meaning but insensitive "churchy" things Christians tend to say to people who are grieving ("it's God's will," or "it's all for the best"). But more importantly, McCormack includes a chapter of "Guidelines for Spirit Guardians," offering advice to those who accompany grieving people so they can be fully present and helpful. Anyone who is grieving or anyone who knows a grieving person will find hope and support in this small book. (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.