Grief is a sneaky bitch: an uncensored guide to navigating loss
Description
A comprehensive and compassionate guide to navigating loss.
When social worker Lisa Keefauver became a widow in 2011, she was alarmed to discover that even though 100 percent of us experience loss, we’re living in a grief illiterate world. In her work as a therapist, and in her search for help in the wake of her own loss, Keefauver began to see how the misguided stories we consume about grief lead to unnecessary suffering. Responding to the problematic narratives that grief is something to move on from after completing the five stages like some sort of to-do list, Keefauver became a grief activist. Through this book and her hit podcast of the same title, she creates a safe place to be inside the messiness of it all, to discover the full spectrum of grief, and to find the tools that help grievers move forward, not on. Grief is a Sneaky Bitch is a comprehensive guide—both a manual full of insights and skills and, even more importantly, a thoughtful companion that helps readers feel seen and held.
Keefauver shares her personal and professional wisdom alongside the lessons she’s learned from clinicians, authors, poets, and friends. In place of rigid instructions and must-do checklists, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch invites reflection, encourages self-compassion, and explores the therapeutic power of humor with, yes, a bit of profanity.
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9781477329702
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
This isn't a book that anyone will want to read. And yet, because of the very universality of death and loss, it is an indispensable purchase. Grief activist, writer, and speaker Keefauver's debut, based on her podcast of the same name, reassures readers that all their feelings and reactions are okay and dispels the myth that there is a singular "right" way to grieve. Transparent about her own journey through the loss of her husband, Keefauver offers a primer that can be read in any order helpful to grievers. Short chapters brimming with affirmation help readers navigate the fraught journey of grief; each concludes with practical exercises and journaling prompts. Keefauver's warm conversational tone, along with a "judicious use of cussing," permeates, exploring the physical and psychological effects of grieving and our cultural grief illiteracy. Her goal is to help people move forward with life, incorporating grief into their future. Valuable appendixes include encouraging reminders and what supporters should (and should not) say. Since we all will deal with grief, this is absolutely essential, highly recommended for all public libraries. As the book invites readers to highlight and write in, copies are likely to be returned marked up--maybe buy two.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* This isn't a book that anyone will want to read. And yet, because of the very universality of death and loss, it is an indispensable purchase. Grief activist, writer, and speaker Keefauver's debut, based on her podcast of the same name, reassures readers that all their feelings and reactions are okay and dispels the myth that there is a singular "right" way to grieve. Transparent about her own journey through the loss of her husband, Keefauver offers a primer that can be read in any order helpful to grievers. Short chapters brimming with affirmation help readers navigate the fraught journey of grief; each concludes with practical exercises and journaling prompts. Keefauver's warm conversational tone, along with a "judicious use of cussing," permeates, exploring the physical and psychological effects of grieving and our cultural grief illiteracy. Her goal is to help people move forward with life, incorporating grief into their future. Valuable appendixes include encouraging reminders and what supporters should (and should not) say. Since we all will deal with grief, this is absolutely essential, highly recommended for all public libraries. As the book invites readers to highlight and write in, copies are likely to be returned marked up—maybe buy two. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.