Families Making Sense of Death

`This book is an outstanding contribution to existing knowledge about bereavement. It breaks new ground in a number of respects: It advances understanding beyond interpersonal level analysis to explore phenomena of grief and grieving in an interpersonal perspective. As such, it extends the perspective usually adopted in traditional theorizing_ The book is a must for both researchers and clinicians alike, indeed, for anyone whose lives are affected by bereavement. It offers new insight and new ways of understanding' - Margaret S. Stroebe, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

Through interviews and analysis, the author explores the healing process within the family context, and looks at the dynamics at work in families in which a member has died. With a keen sense of empathy, the author shares stories which show how, gradually, families come to terms with their grief and make sense of the death, as time goes by.

This `family meaning-making' is not a linear process; it is alternately stimulated and inhibited within a family. The author draws conclusions from her research about which particular social factors and conditions play a role in the overall outcome. She succeeds in showing not only how different families cope with death within the family, but also how skilful and sensitive field research is done.