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Summary: Great book on dealing with sudden loss
Review: The death of a loved one is always an emotionally difficult experience. When it comes suddenly and unexpectedly it is even more difficult. In "I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye" the authors take you through the grieving process as well as learning how to deal with such a tragic loss. The first part of the book deals with issues from how to survive the first few weeks to understanding the emotional and physical aspects of grief to dispelling myths about the grieving process. The second part is mainly the sharing of the stories of various people who have experienced the sudden loss of a loved one. The stories include the loss of a friend, a parent, a child, a partner, and a sibling. This section examines the various related problems that sometimes exist as a result of a loss. For example, losing a partner but having surviving children, dealing with a suicide, and the difficulties of couples surviving the loss of a child are all discussed. The third section discusses some of the pathways that people take through grief. Of particular importance is that is clearly dispels the myth that we all have a particular pathway that we use to move on past a loss. Each one of us is different and we all have our ways of dealing with grief. What may take one person six months to recover from may take another ten years, some may cry, some may not, some may experience forgetfulness, some may not, we are all different. Throughout the book the authors discuss how to be a helpful friend for those who are going through the grieving process. The book finishes with a listing of support and resource contacts. For those dealing with the loss of a loved one, or for those who want to help someone who is, this is a highly recommended read.
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Summary: As essential as food, air, water -- and love
Review: There aren't many "firsts" these days. Most books being published are like so many others. This book, "I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye" is a first and it is valuable beyond my ability to describe it. Suffice it to say that it is truly excellent. It understands. It supports. It comforts. It shed lights. It holds your hand. It is there for you, in a time of unbearable anguish and need, like no other book every written on the subject.
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Summary: A blessing!
Review: This book helped me more than any book I've found. After my son died unexpectedly, I turned inward and didn't want to even get out of bed. This book became my stability, holding me up and helping me move through my grief. I can't say enough about how much this book helped me. Anyone who is grieving or knows of another person who is, should have this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mostly helpful
Review: This book offers helpful resources from other authors. What I was hoping for was a little more depth exploring grief (stages?) and constructive ideas for how to help yourself and others. The editorial errors mentioned in other reviews were only mildly distracting. This book probably provided an outlet for the two authors.
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Summary: Hits home!
Review: This book was a gift and I almost read it from cover to cover the first reading. It covers a lot of important scenarios that I related to. It helped me understand that my bizaare behavior and thoughts were not bizaare after all. It, also, forewarned me about firsts and gave good suggestions on how to deal with them effectively. Overall, I recommend this book highly. I,also, want to recommend another book that goes into clincal detail of normal and abnormal ways to mourn. This is not a one sitting book! It is a book that makes you think & feel about your mourning and helps you navigate a healthy course. It is "Treatment of Complicated Mourning" by Therese Rando.
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Summary: A step by step guide to getting through this tough process
Review: This book was given to me by a friend after a tragic loss of my partner. I can't imagine getting through this period in my life without it. This book geve very helpful advice on how to deal with grief on a daily basis not just on a broad level. After reading the book through I found myself using it as a daily reference that helped me not to let myself get so overwhelmed that I could not function. I thank Brook and Pam for sharing their tragic losses and the personal experience with the public. I highly reccomend this book to anyone suffering over a loss like this.
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Summary: I wasn't ready to Say Goodbye
Review: This is a wonderful book and I would highly recommend it to all who are in the process of grieving. It helped me tremendously.
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Summary: EXCELLENT, well researched, helpful and comforting
Review: This is an excellent book on death, grief and loss. Sooner or later death will touch everyone's life. We may not all react the same but most will experience the stages of loss and grief from denial to acceptance. It can be a long often agonizing and lonely road to recovery. Sadly the impact of loss and death can leave many with a loss of their own will to live. This book does an excellent job of addressing a topic that most people choose not to address until they are directly confronted. I am an author of a children's book on death/loss/grief titled "ANGEL STACEY" and I personally know the impact on the loss of a spouse and raising young children who have lost a parent. This book is for the adult who struggles with their own feelings of loss and often has other family members to consider and to console. Grief has a tendency to creep up in the odd hours of the day and the night and can be overwhelming to those experiencing loss. To have a title, a book that you can reach out and grab at any hour offers comfort. I wish this title had been available sooner as it often was a book that comforted and calmed me most during my own deep dark hours of despair. Written from knowledge and from a place of understanding and guidance is sure to make this book a winner and a timeless treasure for anyone who has known a deep loss. It cannot take the pain and hurt away but it will help in the knowlege that those feelings are normal. Also that others have experienced the same and made it back to a seemingly normal existence. Death changes lives and changes people forever, many will grow and change for the better. I was never so humble and in essence never so pure and so good as I was immediately following the loss of my first husband and later the loss of my oldest daughter. It was only later with the anger and ultimately acceptance that I found myself once again on level ground. Death or loss can uproot your entire existence. This book is excellent and necessary.
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Summary: This book helped me survive
Review: When I first came across this book, I was hurting so very badly. Mike, my very dearest friend and the man I was in love with had been killed in an accident. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to him. I hurt so bad that I walked in a blind maze. I really didn't want to live on. What I remember the most about this book...wasn't just the story of the loss that was encountered by the authors but their wisdom in helping others see ways to go on with their lifes and not be full of such engulfing sadness. I will always be grateful that this book found me and helped reach such a deeply hurting area in my life. Even though I had worked as a hospice nurse and also survived so many personal deaths of wonderful people who knew me outside of my nursing; I had the hardest time releasing this part of my life and finding ways to go on without a true closure of someone I will always love so dearly. I highly, highly recommend it to all who are faced with a "sudden" death....especially if the death seems to be insurmountable to your living on.
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Summary: Some helpful stories, but a little "out there" for my taste
Review: While reading the various first-hand accounts was helpful at times, I found myself put off by the author's frequent references to mediums, psychics, and "dream communication." I realize some people believe in this kind of stuff, but for me personally its just another form of escapism, and right now I'm trying to get back on track after the devastating loss of my mother. I don't think its helpful to try to convince myself that I can somehow communicate with her again. My dreams of my mother are my mind dealing with this loss, and I can welcome them and appreciate them without turning it into some delusion of actual contact with the "afterlife." That said, there was comfort to be taken from the stories of the losses experienced by others. It was good to be reminded that I'm not the only one going thru this, and I'm not crazy, just going thru a natural grieving process. I'm not sorry I read this book, but perhaps I would have checked it out from the library, as opposed to purchasing it. Surprisingly, the book I'm benefitting the most from is "Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames" by Thich Nhat Hanh. Its not specifically geared to healing after the loss of a loved one, but the techniques and philosophy are applicable and beneficial.
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