When Your Family's Lost a Loved One: Finding Hope Together

The Guthries are no strangers to grief: they have lost two of their three children to Zellweger Syndrome, a rare metabolic disorder. While they never wanted to become experts on grief, they have found through writing books (Holding on to Hope) and speaking to the bereaved around the country that their experiences of loss and devastation are all too common and all too often misunderstood. Readers who are in mourning want someone who has walked in their shoes, and in this book the Guthries provide not just their own experiences but also the wisdom of many others, whose thoughts are presented in Q&A interviews. The Guthries talk to grief counselors, psychiatrists, educators and most importantly, the bereaved to find out about grief and how to cope with it. The book tackles hard questions-why would God let this happen? Is it all right to take medication to deal with my grief and depression? How do I respond to the cluelessness of others? What is heaven? Can families really grow closer together after losing a loved one? How can I remember the loss, yet move on with life? The Guthries also provide extremely helpful chapters exploring the ways that men and women might grieve differently, and how parents can help their children deal with loss. This is an extraordinary book that will be of great value to families who are grieving.