Compassion, Spring 2021

Spring 2021 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 18 Aspects of Loss: A Companion for Bereaved Parents and their Families by Gill Hartley This is one of the slightly older books in our library, having been published in 2011, but I think it is worth reviewing again on its tenth anniversary because both I, and many of my library readers, think it’s excellent. Gill (who is a friend but not a relation) wrote it after her only child, Will, died and it consists of prose and poetry by Gill herself and other bereaved parents. It’s a helpful book for all bereaved parents but especially for those of you who have suffered the loss of your only child or all your children. With this in mind I asked Liz Richardson to read and review it for me and she writes:- ‘This is the story of a bereaved mother, her heartbreak and how she found the courage to go on living her life without her beloved son; a son who, until his untimely death from a serious illness, had been a massive part of her life for all of his twenty two years. It tells of her feelings of despair, disbelief and occasional anger. It is the story of grief like no other grief. Gill’s love for her son shines through the whole book and I admire her courage both in making new friends and in casting off old friends who did not have the patience or understanding to allow her to talk about him. This is a book to help bereaved parents, whether you have a faith or not. I have no doubt that Gill’s words will be a starting point to help all of us to begin to learn to cope with our grief. The only small caveat is that I would have liked more words from Gill herself and maybe less from other sources. However I do recommend this book.’ Gill has also written ‘My True Son’ which is an anthology of her poetry. Both books are in our library and ‘Aspects of Loss’ is on sale from the TCF website. Go to: www.tcf.org.uk/shop Mary Hartley