The Farewell Chronicles: How We Really Respond to Death

About this book

The longer we live the more of those around us will die. And while Hallmark sympathy cards and sad movies tell us we should grieve death arouses a lot of other feelings in us as wellweird unnerving complicated feelings which were terrified to talk about because we suspect that if we did we would be judged as crazy cold unfilial unfaithful or immature. So at these crucial times facing the biggest and most momentous dramas of our lives we lock away deep inside us our own true responses. In so doing we cut ourselves off from the rest of the world and from whomever weve lost from our hearts and minds and from the ultimate drama that is a death in the midst of life. Questioning our sanity doubting our humanity we hide pretendand even lie. This book helps us tell the truthto ourselves to the dead and to each other. Revisiting the deaths of many people she has knownloved ones casual acquaintances children and adults friends and enemiesprizewinning journalist Anneli Rufus gives powerful eloquent voice to everyone who has ever lost anyone and whose reactions wouldnt fit into the standard template of feel sad cry then get over it.