ABOUT THE BOOK
Loss is a four-letter word that grips our hearts and gridlocks our
lives. Grief can hold us captive until we surrender it to God. How do we
find the necessary grace to journey through the mourning process?
Juxtaposed to the outpouring of her mother’s words about grief, the author shares her parallel journey from the emotional abyss of grief after becoming an adult orphan. With candor, the author shares her own emotions experienced along the spectrum of loss after her parents’ deaths: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—adding interactive options for readers.
Five sections cover these common emotions and provide:
• comfort Scripture lists
• counsel sections from grief experts
• chronicling sections with detailed helps
• tangible handles on dealing with grief during holidays, capturing loved ones’ legacy, and more.
Juxtaposed to the outpouring of her mother’s words about grief, the author shares her parallel journey from the emotional abyss of grief after becoming an adult orphan. With candor, the author shares her own emotions experienced along the spectrum of loss after her parents’ deaths: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—adding interactive options for readers.
Five sections cover these common emotions and provide:
• comfort Scripture lists
• counsel sections from grief experts
• chronicling sections with detailed helps
• tangible handles on dealing with grief during holidays, capturing loved ones’ legacy, and more.
ABOUT MARGARET McSWEENEY
Margaret McSweeney is a well-published author often writing online
articles for Make It Better (the former North Shore Magazine) and
freelance articles for the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago
newspaper. In addition, she has authored and compiled several books
including A Mother’s Heart Knows; Go Back and Be Happy; Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace and most recently, Mother of Pearl.
Margaret has a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business. As is the founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more about Margaret and the work of Pearl Girls at www.margaretmcsweeney.com
Margaret has a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business. As is the founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more about Margaret and the work of Pearl Girls at www.margaretmcsweeney.com
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13529019/margaretmcsweeney
LINK TO BUY THE BOOK http://ow.ly/cOiNu
MY REVIEW
Are you grieving over the loss of a loved one? Do you know someone who is? If the answer to either question is yes, then I want to recommend this book to you.
Margaret McSweeney has written a wonderful, heartfelt, and an open-hearted book about her own time of grief through the loss of her mother, father and brother. She bares her heart and soul in this book as she writes what she went through. She also incorporates her mother's poems and letters and various family letters from when her mother lost her husband to a heart attack.
I found Aftermath to be a helpful book for myself. It allowed me to look at what I went through when I lost my own mother to cancer. It opened up areas I didn't realize I had closed off, and has allowed the healing love of God to come in and apply His balm over these places in my heart.
At the end of each chapter Margaret has a section that allows the reader to write down thoughts and feelings such as: "What grief-guilt and I holding onto? Am I ready to give God the burden of this grief-guilt? What would I like to say to Him?" (That one hit home for me.... I didn't realize I was still holding onto grief-guilt.)
Also she provides scripture that gives hope to the reader. Not a lot. Just enough to ponder on and hold onto. My favorite one in one chapter is "And the peace that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
You will also find counsel from various reputed ministers, councilors and authors on the subject of grief and how to help someone through the grief process or yourself.
Margaret, through her openness, shows us that grief is natural, understandable, and for each person it lasts as long as necessary. She also reveals to us that God is more than aware of our grief and He is more than able to bear that load for us so it doesn't have to weigh us down into the mire. And if it does, He is able to pick us up and set our feet on the high places.
This is a book that will be a help and comfort for many who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
I received this review book from Litfuse Publicity for the purpose of review, free of charge. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions I have given are my own.
Take the Quiz here!
