Grief

Grief: The Beacon of Love is a collection of 12 notes which provide insight into how to cope with the loss of a loved one. The text relies heavily on personal experiences but strives to be universal. The author, Carolyn Begley Daley, mentions medical solutions such as seeking a therapist’s help or taking medication are valid and sometimes needed. That said, this inspirational book focus on the use of faith and religion in order to deal with grief.

The last few notes focus on the grieving process many felt during the COVID-19 pandemic and how much it has changed people’s coping mechanisms. The author believes love is the answer to finding a path through all kinds of grief. As long as one loves God and the little things in life, one can push through anything.

Grief contains some beautiful ideas and will have the reader highlighting or underlining many sentences that will accompany them in their journey. I believe even a reader who is not grieving could learn from this book. The two main takeaways are that community is essential to people’s healing and that ignoring one’s feelings will eventually lead to anxiety and depression.

The 12 notes that his book revolves around are centered around Christian beliefs. Even if it appears as though the book is meant to be universal, all the notes’ conclusions refer back to scriptures and one’s relationship with God and Jesus. Additionally, many of the arguments are repeated throughout the whole book. I felt that it could be more concise and still give out the message it wanted to give.

Grief: The Beacon of Love by Carolyn Begley Daley is an inspirational self-help book that focuses on the reader’s relationship with God and Jesus. This relationship is the foundation for overcoming grief. It is an excellent book for someone who needs to understand that they are not the only ones going through this pain or looking for what steps to take in order to go forward.

- Literary Titan