Ellen Mitchell

Each of the nine mothers who contributes to this short but eloquent volume lost a child who was in his or her teens or 20s, just beginning to fulfill the promise of their brief lives. The mothers found solace by coming together and sharing their pain: as Rita Volpe writes in an opening poem, "Together we have found new ways to live and love and remember the life." Here they share what they've learned for other parents experiencing a similar tragedy, offering concrete advice and emotional show more reassurance (despite what the culture tells us, there is no closure, writes Cohen in her introduction-but there is a chance to enjoy life again). These bereaved mothers discuss frankly the force of their rage and guilt; the impact of the loss of a child on their marriages (their inability to have sexual relations, the difficulty of coming out of their own pain enough to acknowledge that of their husbands); and their ways of coping. Bereaved parents will find comfort, sympathy and support in this powerful, honest sharing of one of life's most painful experiences. show less