Relative grief : parents and children, sisters and brothers, husbands, wives, and partners, grandparents and grandchildren talk about their experience of death and grieving

'Death is the elephant in the living room - the huge thing that everyone knows is there but no one mentions ... By letting each of the people in this book tell their story in their own way Clare Jenkins and Judy Merry have shown the individuality of grief ... The stories show, too, that the dead belong to no one. All we possess are those parts of our own stories which we shared with those we grieve for. 'Yet, out of all the unique stories in this intensely compassionate and humane book, comes the understanding that, alone as we are in our grief, such suffering shows us that what matters most in. Read more... In this collection of first-hand accounts, parents, grandparents, children, siblings and partners share their experiences of losing close relatives and friends through death from natural causes, genetic conditions, accident, suicide and murder. Looking at death from these different perspectives, it aims to encourage people to understand their own grief and how those closest to them might be affected by what can seem a very private loss. The introduction examines the short- and long-term effects of recent and past loss, the duration and intensity of mourning, and the difficult and often conflicting feelings and behaviours that accompany it: loneliness, anger, guilt or relief, the birth - or loss of - religious faith, out-of-character behaviour triggered by shock, and `competitive' grief among close relatives and friends. Relative Grief is of interest to anyone who has been bereaved or supported someone who has. It will also be useful for those working with the bereaved, particularly hospice nurses, social workers, counsellors and therapists. Death Is The Elephant In The Living Room - The Huge Thing That Everyone Knows Is There But No One Mentions... By Letting Each Of The People In This Book Tell Their Story In Their Own Way Clare Jenkins And Judy Merry Have Shown The Individuality Of Grief... The Stories Show, Too, That The Dead Belong To No One. All We Possess Are Those Parts Of Our Own Stories Which We Shared With Those We Grieve For. -- From The Publisher. Acknowledgements -- Foreword By Dorothy Rowe -- Introduction -- 1. Mothers -- 2. Fathers -- 3. Daughters -- 4. Sons -- 5. Sisters -- 6. Brothers -- 7. Wives -- 8. Husbands -- 9. Partners -- 10. Grandparents -- 11. Grandchildren -- 12. Friends -- Useful Contacts -- Useful Books. Clare Jenkins And Judy Merry ; Foreword By Dorothy Rowe. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 203). Cover Relative Grief: Parents and children, sisters and brothers, husbands, wives and partners, grandparents and grandchildren talk about their experience of death and grieving Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Foreword by Dorothy Rowe Introduction 1. Mothers 2. Fathers 3. Daughters 4. Sons 5. Sisters 6. Brothers 7. Wives 8. Husbands 9. Partners 10. Grandparents 11. Grandchildren 12. Friends USEFUL CONTACTS USEFUL BOOKS. In this collection of accounts, people share their experiences of losing loved ones through death from natural causes, genetic conditions, accident, suicide and murder. Looking at death from different perspectives, it encourages people to understand their own grief and how those around to them might be affected by what can seem a very private loss. Death is not, of course, just common.