Sorrow's Company: Great Writers on Loss and Grief

by Dewitt Henry

Book Overview

A consoling gift in times of sorrow * Writers impart their grief in some of the finest contemporary writing about loss * Debra Spark recounts her sister's death, William Gibson writes of his mother's passing, and Jamaica Kincaid confronts her brother's ostracism and death * Each essay offers a unique gift of condolence, and a depth of insight and compassion * All of the pieces reflect tenacity, the strength to go forward and to love For anyone suffering...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807062367
• ISBN13: 9780807062364
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Beacon Press (MA)
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A tribute to a universal human experience

Sorrow's Company: Writers On Loss And Grief is an impressive, original anthology of essays and commentaries on the confusion and pain that comes with the death of a friend or loved one. But the fifteen writers who's works are included under the ably editorship of DeWitt Henry translate sorrow into the process of recovery. Spiritual and literary in tone, these assembled works bridge the gulf between the pain of loss and the healing of recovery from loss that makes Sorrow's Company both a tribute to a universal human experience and a source of solace to a bereaved readership. With the contributor essays divided into three main sections (Leave-takings; Bereft; Legacies) Sorrow's Company is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to personal and community library collections and grief counseling reading lists.

Beautiful book, brilliant writing

I loved this book. Thankfully I have not had the experience of losing someone I love yet, but reading the words of these amazing writers was nothing less than transformative to me. Each writer tells a story about what he/she lost and how that loss impacted his/her life. I actually bought this book for my aunt, whose husband just passed away, but I ended up reading it myself. I was captured by the high quality writing of each of the essays. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in thinking about "the big things" in life. I cried a lot reading it, but I also felt refreshed. It makes you realize how many "everyday" people are truly courageous, and it makes me hope that when I lose someone I will be courageous too.