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 PrintableVersion Healing the wounded heartHEALING THE WOUNDED HEART This is a short but eminently helpful book for anyone who is in contact with and trying to help a child who has experienced bereavement and loss. It is clearly written in a way which makes a good grasp of the psychological and emotional effects of childhood bereavement accessible to all. The book is punctuated by a host of graphic illustrations and quotations which powerfully demonstrate the point being made. For example, a health visitor describes the grief of a five-year old girl at the death of her baby brother: 'I have never seen - and I hope I shall never see again - such suffering as I saw in that child that day. Her grief, so long repressed, tore from her like nothing I have seen before and wrenched her body into contortions in its savagery. She screamed a sound like an animal and howled before the spasm finally called to an end what she had been feeling.' Important 'Points to Remember' and a succinct list of useful guidelines for action conclude most chapters. Issues such as how children cope with loss at different ages; the circumstances of the loss; emotions associated with loss and the possible effects of childhood bereavement in adulthood are dealt with. There are some very practical and sensitive suggestions about helping those affected e.g. by providing children with a clear understanding of what has happened. There is a consistent thread of Christian belief running through the book. On occasions I would have wished this to be a little stronger, but it is nevertheless a book I would heartily recommend to those for whom it is written. Maureen Wise© Evangelicals Now - October 1997 |
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