THE GRIEVING PARENT'S BOOK OF HOPE: HOW TO SURVIVE THE LOSS OF YOUR CHILD, is a comprehensive and compassionate journey down the road of grief. The book is written from the intimate firsthand experience of a mother who has lost a child and holds the reader in a continual warm embrace. What makes this book unique, therefore, is that it is written by someone who has experienced what you are now experiencing, the death of a child. Although competent doctors, psychiatrists, and others have written many books about the grieving process, this book has been written by someone who understands how you feel. The suggestions provided in this book are organized into ten chapters that roughly parallel what experts call the stages of grief, as follows: (1) Surviving Shock and Denial; (2) Surviving Emotional Suffering; (3) Surviving Depression; (4) Surviving Panic; (5) Surviving Guilt; (6) Surviving Anger; (7) Surviving physical Aspects of Grief; (8) Surviving Life Changes; (9) Engaging in Meaningful Activity; and (10) Affirming Reality
About the Author: Norma Sawyers-Kurz has written books for grieving parents from the perspective of personal experience. In 1982 her 15-year-old daughter Karen was riding on a motorcycle with a friend when they were struck by a truck. Karen died as a result of injuries received in the accident. Norma was devastated, paralyzed by disbelief and shock. Life isn't supposed to be like this; normally children bury their parents, not the other way around. After years of working through the grief process, she decided to reach out to other grieving parents to share how she survived the most difficult period of her life. Her books help bereaved parents to move from the experience of shock and denial to that of affirming reality. She emphasizes patience, prayer, and the support of loving family and friends. Norma has also written books from the outlook of those struggling for answers to life questions. In confronting her own grief, she had to ask the fundamental questions that plague many people, such as: Is it wrong to doubt and question? Why does God allow evil and suffering? For those who are struggling with these very real issues, she provides a starting point from which they may continue to grow. It is obvious that Norma has done considerable research for her books, as she quotes numerous other authors who have written books on subjects of both grief and real life questions. Published work by Norma includes three other books, a contribution to an anthology, JESUS, HOW WE SEE HIM, and articles in Christian magazines and journals. She is a graduate of American Christian College, Oklahoma City, where she received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. She is a grandmother of three and lives with her husband John and her dog Lady Diana in Southwest Missouri.