About grief Insights, setbacks, grace notes, taboos

Marasco (theater, Loyola Marymount Univ.; Notes to an Actor) and Shuff, who has written a screenplay with Marasco, offer a down-to-earth book on grief-hard, messy work, which often is not spoken of in our culture. They first discuss the new normality that a grieving person will experience and then explore being honest with oneself, life with the deceased, and the future. In the third section, the authors identify nine things that can help comfort the grieving (e.g., rest, sports, nature, indulgence). Finally, they cover expressing grief for men and women and those of various religious beliefs, self-expression, and honoring the deceased. The authors use anecdotes and scenes from movies and literature to help guide readers down this often lonely path. VERDICT A truthful, practical, and refreshingly honest look at an often taboo topic. Though this is a quick read, there is a wealth of information contained within the pages that will give comfort to the grieving. For all public libraries.-Phyllis Goodman, West Chester P.L., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.