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It's never comfortable to read, or even think, about grief. And Love Never Dies is many things--eloquent, sweet, touching, and powerful--but it is definitely not an easy read. Sandy Goodman has taken brave steps past Kübler-Ross's work (On Death and Dying), and here she challenges us to open ourselves to a different set of stages that she labels numbness, unrelenting pain, searching, and reinventing. She writes with comforting openness about pretending that she was progressing through the standard stages, was "getting over" the death of her son, and was searching for a more clearly defined faith. She also is frank about the real need to continue acknowledging birthdays as well as the anniversary of death, and provides a few specific suggestions for friends to help those going through grief, such as asking, "How are you really doing since [he] died," instead of merely, "How are you?"
Each chapter closes with a short message in bold print, written from the point of view of Goodman's dead son, Jason. She clarifies in the introduction that this is not channeling or automatic writing, merely her best guess as to what he might have to add to her own thoughts. Regardless of your point of view on these additions, it is clear that Jason is continually present to his family.
Having someone you love die, whether expected or unexpected, is perhaps the most trying, and painful situation we face in life. In her book Love Never Dies, Sandy Goodman walks right past all the analytical, psychological lingo to, as John Edward, renowned psychic medium put it – “light a path of understanding through the darkness of loss.” Sandy Goodman has turned her personal journey following the tragic death of her 18-year-old son into a valuable guide destined to help all people who are dealing with grief over a lost loved one. Blending reality, personal experience, and compassion, Sandy advises the reader not to try to return to their “old selves,” but to find a way to be comfortable with their “new self.” This book is a thoughtful gift.
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