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

Helen Fitzgerald, author of The Grieving Child, has compiled a guide to help readers practically and emotionally grieve the death of loved ones. No one should be left to grieve alone. Even with the help of friends and family, grieving the death of a loved one can be a complex, sometimes overwhelming, process. The Mourning Handbook is written as a companion to those mourners in need of practical and emotional assistance during the trying times before and after the death of a loved one. Having counseled thousands of people who have experienced loss, Helen Fitzgerald gives special attention to the complex emotions that can accompany especially traumatic situations, such as when a loved one has been murdered, when there have been multiple deaths, when a body has not been recovered, or when the mourner has been the inadvertent cause of death. Designed to conform to the special needs of the bereaved, The Mourning Handbook is written and organized in an accessible style punctuated by real stories of people who have experienced every kind of loss. With many subchapters and cross references, it can be consulted for a specific problem or read at length.

Even with the help of friends and family, grieving the death of a loved one can be a complex, sometimes overwhelming, process. The Mourning Handbook is written as a companion to those mourners in need of practical and emotional assistance during the trying times before and after the death of a loved one.

Having counseled thousands of people who have experienced loss, Helen Fitzgerald gives special attention to the complex emotions that can accompany especially traumatic situations, such as when a loved one has been murdered, when there have been multiple deaths, when a body has not been recovered, or when the mourner has been the inadvertent cause of death.

Designed to conform to the special needs of the bereaved, The Mourning Handbook is written and organized in an accessible style punctuated by real stories of people who have experienced every kind of loss. With many subchapters and cross references, it can be consulted for a specific problem or read at length.

Library Journal

While both authors offer guides to dealing with the death of a loved one, Fitzgerald concentrates on the wide range of topics associated with grief and mourning, including anticipatory and complicated grief. Though offering practical advice on making funeral arrangements and disposing of belongings, the author focuses primarily on how to deal with particular symptoms of grief, like depression, fear, and guilt. Fitzgerald (The Grieving Child, LJ 4/15/92) also considers the varying effects on the survivor of traumatic deaths (murder, suicide, etc.), the deceased's relationship (death of a parent, child, spouse, pet, etc.), and special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries). Her final sections are devoted to moving on from grief and advice on helping others through loss. A good, selected bibliography follows. Similar topics form the subject matter of Shaw's text, though she has designed more of a how-to guide for dealing with matters not ordinarily discussed in books on grief and mourning. Among many other things, the author discusses autopsy, securing a death certificate, choosing between funerals and memorial services, dealing with wills, insurance policies and the deceased's estate, dealing with the press when the death is a media event, and numerous other matters that survivors are often faced with and ignorant about. Each chapter includes up-to-date referral guides for getting help and information. While each book offers support for the grieving, Shaw's is the more useful in practical matters relating to the death of a loved one and also for those who wish to think about and plan for their own death. Both are recommended for the general reader.-Bonnie Hoffman, Stony Brook, N.Y.

Explains the processes of grief and loss, the practical aspects of dealing with a death, and guides the survivors through the different types of grief that people may experience