Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jan 2018
288 pages
Genre: Advice
Publication Information
An instant bestseller in the UK, Grief Works is a profoundly optimistic and compassionate handbook for anyone suffering a loss - from the expected death of a parent to the sudden death of a child or spouse - as well as a guide for those who want to help their grieving loved ones.
Death affects us all. Yet it is still the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. So many of us feel awkward and uncertain around death, and shy away from talking honestly with family and friends. Julia Samuel, a grief psychotherapist, has spent twenty-five years working with the bereaved and understanding the full repercussions of loss. In Grief Works Samuel shares case studies from those who have experienced great love and great loss - and survived. People need to understand that grief is a process that has to be worked through, and Samuel shows if we do the work, we can begin to heal. The stories here explain how grief unmasks our greatest fears, strips away our layers of protection, and reveals our innermost selves.
Intimate, clear, warm, and helpful, Grief Works addresses the fear that surrounds death and grief and replaces it with confidence. Samuel is a caring and deeply experienced guide through the shadowy and mutable land of grief, and her book is as invaluable to those who are grieving as it is to those around them. She adroitly unpacks the psychological tangles of grief in a voice that is compassionate, grounded, real, and observant of those in mourning. Divided into case histories grouped by who has died - a partner, a parent, a sibling, a child, as well section dealing with terminal illness and suicide - Grief Works shows us how to live and learn from great loss.
"Starred Review. Though often touching on profoundly sad situations, Samuel's stories and reflections consistently hit an authentically inspiring note." - Kirkus
"The book will allow us to stop feeling awkward and uncertain about death - and why we should talk honestly about grief." - The Guardian (UK)
"The book is self-help at its most philosophical, practical and profound... Anyone who has every struggled with the obscure, muddled, vulnerable, uncertain, fearful, elemental process of bereavement, or facing their own mortality, should find this book of help." - Sunday Times (UK)
This invaluable guide gets to the heart of grief, showing how a simple act like making a meal for someone who is bereaved, or sending a card with memories of the deceased, can make all the difference." - Sunday Express (UK)
"Psychotherapist Julia Samuel's case studies provide vital and compelling insights into bereavement ... fascinating and affecting." - The Observer (UK)
"If a single book could help you to be kinder and more compassionate, could expand and deepen your understanding of other people (and possibly yourself) and make you less afraid of dying in the process, you would surely be eager to acquire it at once. Well look no further, for Grief Works is that book." - The Spectator (UK)
"A very helpful book." - The Lady (UK)
"A brilliantly insightful look at the complexities of bereavement." - Daily Mail Ireland
"A profoundly moving book by an extraordinary storyteller ... Essential for anyone who has ever experienced grief, or wanted to comfort a bereaved friend." - Helen Fielding, bestselling author of Bridget Jones' Diary
"Fascinating. A wise and compassionate book full of insight and understanding that would help anyone experiencing grief, or those surrounding them. I am so glad this book exists." - Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love
"What an amazing book! I absolutely LOVE it. Intelligent, empathetic, modest, funny, and learned - it's an amazing feat." - Rabbi Julia Neuberger
"A wonderfully important and transforming book - lucid, consoling and wise." - William Boyd, bestselling author of Sweet Caress
"Julia Samuel's wise, compassionate voice speaks out on every page of this exceptionally moving book ... Through the inspirational stories of those many people she has helped, both the dying and the surviving, Julia Samuel dissipates fear and demonstrates the extraordinary resilience of humankind." - Juliet Nicolson, author of A House Full of Daughters
"The stories of [Julia's] clients are set out with such eloquence, sensitivity and insight and I learned something from each one of them. I liked her honesty about how difficult it can be for a therapist to find a way into communication with someone who is in the throes of grief, and how much the therapist can doubt herself. And the way she teases out the slow, arduous process of recovery is truly heartening. I don't often read a book which offers such direct and generous support." - Helen Dunmore
This information about Grief Works was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Julia Samuel is a psychotherapist specializing in grief, who has spent the last twenty-five years working with bereaved families. Grief Works is her first book.
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