Review of Living Forward After Loss

[Elisa Joy Ocasla]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Living Forward After Loss" by Kathleen Ho.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Our lives simply coalesce across living most of them with the people around us. We create some good, bad, and spellbinding times with them. After living the brightest life possible, we simply lower our guard and proceed to our most certain destination. How excruciating is it to lose someone with whom you have an intimate tie? This book, entitled Living Forward After Loss, was based entirely on the previously mentioned write-up. It is a book published by Kathleen Ho about her difficult journey after the death of her beloved life partner, David, who died as a result of a debilitating stroke. Unfortunately, David's death brought an end to their ten-year marriage. Her husband's loss tormented her holistically and rendered her life bleak. Will she be able to rise again after such a horrifying ordeal? What effective methods did she employ to forget her husband's incessant presence?
 
There are numerous uplifting quotations and assertions in the book to draw from. Ho's terrifying experience inspires her to write a well-written book full of glimmers of hope and admonishments to think about. It is a heartbreaking occurrence for her because her grief while working on the book is still vibrant. She went on to discuss the concept of love, death, and life throughout all eight chapters of this book, and it is unquestionably an effective principle for those in the same circumstance as she is.
 
The author's grief over the loss of her partner is understandable but repeating it is disconcerting. She was able to construct a plausible guide at one point, but her psychological reaction hampered her efforts to establish a short but well worth reading. Furthermore, because of the repetitive data, she could not write a concise book and thus failed to address the book's centrality.
 
Almost every summary and quotation before and after each chapter is tantalizing. I'm assuming that this guide was successfully crafted for those who are also rebuilding their lives after the tragic loss of a loved one. The idea of including a post and a pre-energizer is brilliant. I have, however, noticed a lot of errors that need to be corrected, so I am rating this 3 out of 4 stars.
 
Living Forward After Loss is designed for those who have gone through the same debacle. Her mission is to restore smiles to others and to share with those who have been in a similar situation how she was able to stabilize her new life to the fullest again. This book is recommended for those who have reached their lowest point and are looking for inspiration to fight and strive harder in this life where death is the only certain.

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Living Forward After Loss
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[Medhansh Bhardwaj]

It's saddening to see such a book lose one star because of poor editing. I really hope the author gets it fixed the next time around. And judging by your review, I think this book can really come in handy for those people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

[Kaushiki Parihar]

It is really excruciatingly painful to lose someome dear to us. The repetition might be frustrating but it seems an emotional read. Thanks for the lovely review.

[Kelyn]

I find it completely understandable that the book was disoriented if she wrote it soon after losing her husband. It is a thought that terrifies me. I can't imagine trying to write coherently for quite some time afterward. Perhaps, in a way, the book was written more as a catharsis for her than for readers, though it does sound like she tried to reach them as well. Something to ponder. Wonderful review, thanks.

[IamJc_Bembo12]

Basically, a sad story of nonfiction; losing someone perhaps may be traumatizing, and I couldn't imagine such an occurrence; however, we all get there at the end of the day.