Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child, Revised Edition Paperback – March 3, 2009

Anyone who has lost a child should read this book. After reading this book I was lucky to have a Compassionate Friends group near me. These 9 wonderful women’s words helped me in so many ways. I lost my son Mother’s Day weekend in 2015. Everyone told me that it would get easier, well it hasn’t. What I took away from this book and these 9 women is that you are not going crazy and it is normal to feel this deep sadness that only a mother can feel. This book is a stepping stone to help you know you are not alone. I highly recommend this book.

Death of a child is outside the natural order. Parents never expect to bury a child. Nine mothers who had a child die in the teenage or young adult years share their experiences and suggestions. The author worked with the nine mothers in helping them share their stories. Thank you nine mothers for having the courage to take a very difficult life experience and try to help other grieving parents by sharing your stories.

Wonderful book. It helped me feel normal after the loss of my son. I’ve since joined a Compassionate Friends support group because of these moms who wrote this book and will now give it to another grieving mom that I’ve met in the group as it may help her as well.

I lost my son in 1/2022 and was desperately looking for others that might understand the journey I found myself in. This book was well written but I have to say it did not give the reader much hope. I understand that truly my hope lies in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

Amazing ‘lived experience’ of tragedy - shared kindly to help others whose lives have been forever saddened beyond comprehension.A grateful survivors.

I lost my son on New Year's Eve and was sort of lost. I did not want to go to any sort of therapy or group meetings; I have always been a shy person. My husband suggested finding a book and I found this one. As I read it, I discovered that many of the little things that I could not do were written in these pages.This book allowed me to know that the way I was feeling was ok and that there is no timetable for grief. I kept thinking that after 6 months I should feel better, but the women in this book made me realize that the grief does not go away; you just learn to manage it in whatever way you can.Anyone who has lost a child should read this book; no matter how you are grieving, you will find that one of these nine women have probably felt the same things and it really is comforting to know that you are not the only one and that you are not going just a little crazy.

Book is very well written and I found it very very helpful with other parents contributing their feeling after a loss of their child. I felt understood! In the every day world people do not know what to say or they may innocently say the wrong things and in a time of loss a Mother is very sensitive to things like this. The book helped me understand that my feelings were normal and made a point to grieve at one's own pace and not listen to people who think one should be out and about a month or so after a loss. They just do not understand

I lost a son 2 years ago. Everything in this book has helped me to see that we are not crazy! We have the same feelings as the other parents. I especially liked the sibling section as I am having trouble understanding my daughter and how she feels. I am going to have her read this book. Maybe it will help.

Bought for a friend who lost their son in a tragic accident with his father. Hoping that it would give his parents some comfort and understanding as the days go by.

Sehr empathisch sehr nachvollziehbar ein Muss für Betroffene und Kinderhospizhelfer

I've read a number of books since losing my daughter a few months ago. This is the book I found most useful. It is written by a group of 9 bereaved mums plus a professional (non-bereaved) editor. This worked well - as the book was clear and well written - and pulled together the disparate views of the group of mums - you had a sense of how different mothers responded to stuff differently, which I found really helpful. Structure was vey easy to deal with - eg. a chapter on how losing a child affected intimate relationship made lots of generic, sensible points that applied to everyone - as we all have initimate relationships. Other books I've read have tended to divide chapters into categories like - affects on sibling etc... which don't apply to everyone. All in all, definitely woth a read.

We lost a son 17 years ago. This book was the most helpful book I’ve read.I have purchased and given copies to several bereaved parents. The author shares stories of others who have lost children. It is practical without being preachy.

My daughter died suddenly two months ago just days after her twenty-first birthday. There is no support for the parents or siblings following the death of a young adult or older teenager. The author articulates the feelings, the incessant cycles of sadness, anger and dispair that no-one prepares you for or will talk to grieving parents about. Absolutely the only practical and emotional support for us newly bereaved parents.