I found this book after my younger brother was killed last year. I am not really a poetry person, but this book was far more helpful than any book on grief. ( )

have come back to this in May 2022 - well done Kevin Young ( )

A friend recommended this collection of poems about grief and healing, and I only picked it up hesitantly: who wants to read a whole book of death poems?

As it turns out, I do.

The selections range from raw, devastating laments to tender (or angry) remembrances to hopeful visions of recovery. Usually I could only read a handful at a time because of the weight of them, but I was always moved.

This is a book worth owning, even for folks who aren't typically into poetry. Grieving people need to know there is empathy for their journey and insight to pull them through, and these poems can provide both. ( )

I got this book through early reviewers, and I have to admit even now a year later I've barely gotten through the beginning. Which is NOT to say that the poems are uninteresting, merely that... it's heavy stuff. I can imagine myself chipping slowly away at this book for years, when it feels like I need it.

One thing I do love about it is that there is such variation in the poems included, so you can sample a wide array of perspectives. And find something that really clicks with you. They are also helpfully organized by where you might find yourself in the grieving process.

I found myself turning to poetry for solace when my 2 1/2 year old daughter died five years ago - this is the book I was looking for then. It earned a treasured place on my bookshelf as soon as I looked through the table of contents. Thank you Kevin Young, well done! ( )