Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss

In her latest book, Handler (Invisible Sisters: A Memoir) guides aspiring writers to write “through” and about grief, structuring her strategy around the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.She adds a final stage for the writer—renewal—which concerns the “bridge between who you were and who you have become” and recognition of “the desire to be fully alive.” The chapters include tips and exercises, use numerous examples, and touch on the author’s own experience writing a memoir about the death of her sisters. Though sensitive to the fact that readers will likely be dealing with complex emotions, Handler brings nothing new in terms of using the five stages, nor does she offer particularly novel writing tips. She urges her audience to write “objectively” and “honestly” about oneself, experiment with form, and use metaphor—hardly fresh advice for the would-be memoirist. However, though the tips may not be new, Handler’s hopes for her readers are genuine. Agent: Sorche Fairbank, Fairbank Literary. (Dec.)