Book Review: Aftermath

Aftermath: Growing in Grace Through Grief by Margaret McSweeney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Book: 

Growing in Grace Through Grief

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.

My Thoughts:

This book is so invaluable to almost everyone who has or will inevitably face grief over the loss of a loved one, which is a very bittersweet thing. I lost my father to cirrhosis at age 15, and in some regard, my mother as well. Even now, 17 years later, I'm surprised sometimes when the unexpected grief seems to wash over me and take my breath away. It it something that I don't feel ever truly goes away completely. You simply learn to live on. 

Aftermath holds your hand every step of the way, whether your grief is recent, or even decades later. It deals with the various initial stages of the grieving process, each with its own chapter. Then there are plenty of tools and ideas given in the book to help you well beyond those first few months. I love how the author shares her own insights, interwoven with biblical passages and her own mother's beautiful writing and poetry. While it's a very resourceful books, I found it to be a very touching tribute to a mother from her daughter as well. 

You can purchase a copy of Aftermath by going here. 

About the Author:

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.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as part of the Litfuse Blog Tour in exchange for my review, but all opinions are 100% my own.