General info

Publisher & Imprint: Perfect Publishers Ltd

City: Cambridge

Pages: 484

More info: height 216 mm width 140 mm weight 557 gr thickness 24 mm

Age recommended: General/trade

Subject Indexing & Classification Dewey: 362.283

Record updated at: 05 May, 2012 time: 13:31

1. made_by Raymond ( 16 November 2009 )

   5 / 5

   I wish this book had been available when we lost our only son to suicide 11 years ago. It is the best book that I have read about the grief of those left behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and hearts. As I read the book, I felt that the author could have been writing about our son and the diverse emotions that my wife and I suffered – and still do suffer. I have never been able to adequately convey what I am feeling to those closest to me – and even less to strangers whom we meet and who ask that dreaded question, “Do you have any children?” I feel that I want to buy this book for all those I know and those we shall meet in the future. If they really want to know how we felt then and feel now, I would just hand them a copy of the book. My son was bullied at college, so I am really glad to see that proceeds from the book are being donated to a charity that deals with bullying and abuse. Anyone who has a child and believes that this could never happen to them should buy a copy of this book. It will certainly make everyone realise that it can happen to anybody – even the most close and loving family, as ours was. This is an extremely powerful book and I felt particularly encouraged by the chapter on Life After Death, as my wife and I have experienced many signs that our son is still with us in spirit.
2. made_by Stacey ( 08 November 2009 )

   5 / 5

   How does a parent ever cope with losing a child, let alone to something as unthinkable as suicide? This was the question that Jan Andersen had asked herself many times prior to losing her eldest son Kristian in November 2002. However, when the unimaginable did happen, instead of giving up on life as so many would, she began to channel her grief into what I can only describe as an incredible piece of writing. I have a short attention span, so rarely do I come across a book that I have difficulty putting down after a brief period of reading. This book, however, captured my attention from the very first page and I did not want to stop reading. The author has not only attempted to tackle a very difficult and emotional topic, but she has channelled her own grief into what I can only describe as an incredible piece of writing. As I read the book I laughed and I sobbed many times, but it also made me think about certain issues a lot more deeply and has made me realise the enormous importance of communicating with my children. It has definitely made me more aware that suicide is not confined to certain sectors of society, but can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any time. I have two children and one of my biggest fears has always been losing one of them, a fear with which I am certain all parents can identify. I am not certain that I would be able to carry on if something ever happened to one of them, so I have even more respect for the author in having pulled herself from the depths of her grief to produce something so positive, so helpful and so touching. The author hasn’t just covered the suicide of her own son and the range of emotions and situations that she had to face, but has included a plethora of experiences from families around the world, all in different family set-ups. She has included experiences from grandparents, siblings, stepparents and so on, so that no one within the extended family has been forgotten. She has also raised topics that I would never even have considered, such as the way in which a bereaved parent reacts to physical contact after the loss, dealing with the insensitive things that people do and say and a really uplifting chapter on life after death. It has certainly made me re-think the way in which I will respond to anyone who has suffered a bereavement and I hope that it has taught me to say something more appropriate. I will be reading the book again and have recommended it to all the parents that I know.

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