In this revised and expanded edition, the first half of the book, Familiar Faces, presents a variety of individuals: from an elegant single woman and a middle-aged school teacher, through students, writers, a convalescent, unhappy insurance adjuster, artistic duo, desperate gardener, and grandmothers, to old Greek men sharing coffee in the mall. These are the faces we encounter in everyday life, seen through the fresh eye of a poet. The second half of the book, Private Grief, has a more sombre tone, looking toward, then mourning, the demise of loved ones, and in the process coming to terms with and acknowledging the cycle of life.

The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and be stretched large by them. As seen on All There Is with Anderson Cooper Noted psychotherapist Francis Weller provides an essential guide for navigating the deep waters of sorrow and loss in this lyrical yet practical handbook for mastering the art of grieving. Describing how Western patterns of amnesia and anesthesia affect our capacity to cope with personal and collective sorrows, Weller reveals the new vitality we may encounter when we welcome, rather than fear, the pain of loss. Through moving personal stories, poetry, and insightful reflections he leads us into the central energy of sorrow, and to the profound healing and heightened communion with each other and our planet that reside alongside it. The Wild Edge of Sorrow explains that grief has always been communal and illustrates how we need the healing touch of others, an atmosphere of compassion, and the comfort of ritual in order to fully metabolize our grief. Weller describes how we often hide our pain from the world, wrapping it in a secret mantle of shame. This causes sorrow to linger unexpressed in our bodies, weighing us down and pulling us into the territory of depression and death. We have come to fear grief and feel too alone to face an encounter with the powerful energies of sorrow. Those who work with people in grief, who have experienced the loss of a loved one, who mourn the ongoing destruction of our planet, or who suffer the accumulated traumas of a lifetime will appreciate the discussion of obstacles to successful grief work such as privatized pain, lack of communal rituals, a pervasive feeling of fear, and a culturally restrictive range of emotion. Weller highlights the intimate bond between grief and gratitude, sorrow and intimacy. In addition to showing us that the greatest gifts are often hidden in the things we avoid, he offers powerful tools and rituals and a list of resources to help us transform grief into a force that allows us to live and love more fully.

From the globally acclaimed, best-selling novelist and author of We Should All Be Feminists, a timely and deeply personal account of the loss of her father: “With raw eloquence, Notes on Grief … captures the bewildering messiness of loss in a society that requires serenity, when you’d rather just scream. Grief is impolite ... Adichie’s words put welcome, authentic voice to this most universal of emotions, which is also one of the most universally avoided” (The Washington Post). Notes on Grief is an exquisite work of meditation, remembrance, and hope, written in the wake of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's beloved father’s death in the summer of 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged around the world, and kept Adichie and her family members separated from one another, her father succumbed unexpectedly to complications of kidney failure. Expanding on her original New Yorker piece, Adichie shares how this loss shook her to her core. She writes about being one of the millions of people grieving this year; about the familial and cultural dimensions of grief and also about the loneliness and anger that are unavoidable in it. With signature precision of language, and glittering, devastating detail on the page—and never without touches of rich, honest humor—Adichie weaves together her own experience of her father’s death with threads of his life story, from his remarkable survival during the Biafran war, through a long career as a statistics professor, into the days of the pandemic in which he’d stay connected with his children and grandchildren over video chat from the family home in Abba, Nigeria. In the compact format of We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, Adichie delivers a gem of a book—a book that fundamentally connects us to one another as it probes one of the most universal human experiences. Notes on Grief is a book for this moment—a work readers will treasure and share now more than ever—and yet will prove durable and timeless, an indispensable addition to Adichie's canon.

Deeply bonded to her three older brothers and in awe of her father's experiences as a Holocaust survivor, young Ruby is shocked when her eldest brother is abruptly taken away to a hospital, where he changes into a person she barely recognizes. 35,000 first printing.

It's time to change how we understand grief. Grief is not only a reaction to death and loss, but also a natural part of life. Once embraced, it can help you transform into a more powerful version of yourself. By leaning in to the transformative process of grief, Katie Rössler normalizes a topic society doesn't discuss enough. One that when ignored, can lead to addiction, disconnection from loved ones, and increased stress. Within these pages, Katie provides indispensable tools of support. On your grief journey, learn to turn pain into empowerment. Discover: Why it's time to upgrade the definition of grief How to break the old rules of grief and create your own What the phases of grief can offer you Ways to heal and to use grief to help you grow Stories of women from around the world sharing their grief experiences Mental health issues are on the rise worldwide. Katie's easy-to-follow steps and guidance will help you heal from your past and lead you to live a healthier and happier life. Praise for The New Face of Grief The New Face of Grief by Katie Rössler arrives at a time when grief is enveloping so many of us in so many different aspects of our lives. Through the relating of her own experiences in life and her work with countless clients, Katie presents an accessible narrative that outlines how we can re-imagine grief as a starting anew. I didn't expect to be pulled in so deeply, nor to connect with how unresolved and hidden grief can so powerfully weave their way through our day to day. This book provides a framework to reflect upon those experiences, create space to process, absorb, feel, pull apart and then put back together the emotions of grief in a growth focused manner - one that breaks down the unhealthy messages many of us have internalized around this universal aspect of life and provides us with healthy and empowering alternatives. An absolute must-share with my clients, my counselor-in-training students and supervisees, and of course, family and friends. Thank you Katie for the powerful and authentic stories, metaphors, and supports shared! - Dr. Carrie Lynn Bailey, LPC, NCC, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Faculty - Walden University In The New Face of Grief we have a fresh look at the often-mysterious grief dynamics that are universal to the human experience. Katie Rossler offers us personal anecdotes, nuggets of research finding, and poignant sharing by other grievers, all woven together with senses of humanity and humor. Drawing from Kubler-Ross's stages of grief (1969), Katie breathes new life and adds depth and modern application including concrete strategies and exercises. Ultimately, we all grieve; here we have illumination for the path. This book offers us hope through normalizing experiences and utilizing them for transformation and growth. - Dr. Johnston Brendel, LPC, LMFT, Clinical Associate Professor - The College of William & Mary

An illustrated journal for meeting grief with honesty and kindness—honoring loss, rather than packing it away With her breakout book It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine struck a chord with thousands of readers through her honest, validating approach to grief. In her same direct, no-platitudes style, she now offers How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed—a journal filled with unique, creative ways to open a dialogue with grief itself. “Being allowed to tell the truth about your grief is an incredibly powerful act,” she says. “This journal enables you to tell your whole story, without the need to tack on a happy ending where there isn’t one.” Grief is a natural response to death and loss—it’s not an illness to be cured or a problem to be fixed. This workbook contains no clichés, timetables, or checklists of stages to get through; it won’t help you “move past” or put your loss behind you. Instead, you’ll find encouragement, self-care exercises, and daily tools, including: •Writing prompts to help you honor your pain and heartbreak • On-the-spot practices for tough situations—like grocery store trips, the sleepless nights, and being the “awkward guest” • The art of healthy distraction and self-care • What you can do when you worry that “moving on” means “letting go of love” • Practical advice for fielding the dreaded “How are you doing?” question • What it means to find meaning in your loss • How to hold joy and grief at the same time • Tear-and-share resources to help you educate friends and allies • The “Griever’s Bill of Rights,” and much more Your grief, like your love, belongs to you. No one has the right to dictate, judge, or dismiss what is yours to live. How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed is a journal and everyday companion to help you enter a conversation with your grief, find your own truth, and live into the life you didn’t ask for—but is here nonetheless.