I read this during what was possibly one of the most challenging times of my life - I had recently lost a very dear friend immensely unexpectedly. There was a comfort in these pages that kept me coming back for more. It didn't mollycoddle you, it didn't make things sugar sweet, it was quite honestly everything you ever needed it to be and more.

Perfect for helping those walk through what they need to go through. It goes through a variety of situations and scenarios, step by step, and does so in an honest and practical way.

as someone who has dealt with grief for most of her life, i found this handbook to be one of the most accessible and helpful books i've come across this far.

This book is exactly what it says on the tin. A step by step conversation of grief. The worst-case scenarios when the worst has already happened and the author's own experiences with loss. Grief can feel very isolating sometimes, so I feel that books such as this are particularly poignant in highlighting that you are not alone in this, even if it feels like it. Following my mum's death earlier this year, I was struggling to put into words what I was feeling and at multiple points in this book did I find myself going "Yes! That is it exactly". This book is very well written, it's easy to read and it doesn't feel patronising or condescending in any way, which is never what you want when reading about such a difficult topic. I really enjoyed that this book doesn't encourage you to find beauty or peace in the pain and simply acknowledges that everything is shit, and that is okay.

Having been devastated by the loss of my son and struggling with grief, I found this a gently comforting and supportive guide, It helped to see my grief explained and the activities provided are helpful to return to as needed.

This was very mildly helpful with my recent grief. It really just reads like a todo list with some random quotes thrown in. The handbook/workbook format does not work well with ebooks in my opinion. I can’t really say I found this overly helpful, it some of the themes gave me more to expand on. So I’d say it’s a good jumping off point if your grief is new.

The Grief Handbook by Bridget McNulty was one of the hardest books I have ever read and I knew it was going to be a hard one to tackle. Oh Boy! I so need a lot of tissues................

"One of the things I found hardest to deal with in weeks and months after my mum died; was the disbelief that she had gone. It seemed impossible that the world could continue as if nothing had happened when I no longer had a mum.
Part of this, of course, was shock!" So True I miss my mum..........

I need tissues.......... and I could so relate to this part from Bridget's book and most of this book.

ME: I lost my mum in January this year, she caught Covid and within 24 hours she had died. It was and will be one of the worst days of my life. Now, I sit and look at her photo of my mum smiling and holding her favourite drink, a coffee which is across the room and smile. Then think was a good daughter??
I couldn't have kids and I never gave her a grandchild which was a big strain on our Mum and Daughter relationship. She never told me it was, but, I just knew, when my other 3 sister all have children and I was the odd one, especially as I am the eldest daughter.........I was expected to get married and have children! Well, I got married 29 years yesterday.
But the children/grandkids never came.

So this book was a hard one to read.......It answered some of my questions and one that will always stick with me.

"At Least!" 2 simple words that mean so much.........'At Least!"

Well, I know I will never know If I was a good daughter but I tried.....and (there it is those words) "At least" I had a good relationship with her last year via Skype....and oh God! we had some laughs etc. I never got to hug her etc because of Covid!!!! and Yes I know I am not the only one this happened too..................

But, I miss her everyday and everyday I think of her and say Hi Mum when I walk past the photo of her.........I just need to get a candle now and light it now and then.....
So this book has kind of helped me........It never answered some of my questions was I a good daughter? etc But (there's those words again) At least - She never suffered, She had something to eat and closed her eyes and fell a sleep. Sweet Dreams mum until we meet again.....You will always be around us and I will always think of you everyday.

I can Highly recommend this book.

Big thank you to Netgalley, the author Bridget McNulty and Watkins Watkins Publishing for letting me read and review this wonderful book. I can't think you enough. Hugs x

The author is grieving for her Mum but offers anyone grieving a practical and common sense guide to getting through the grieving process.

Many people are often offered the Kubler -Ross book with its 5 stages of grieving model , but this book provides a more reassuring and persons guide. It talks about grief as a non linear process quoting a description of it as "full of hidden rooms". Also she talks about the "Fog of grief"

It doesn't shy away from the rawness and sheer agonizing pain of grief. It recognizes that grief's impact is physical as well as emotional/physical and invites us to grieve in our own way. Each grief is totally individual depending on our relationship with the deceased, our past experiences in life and also any previous losses.
It's a hugely complicated process and there are no "short cuts".. Keeping "busy" might be a coping strategy for a while but the author encourages us to face grief head on whilst also encouraging us to be gentle to ourselves.

She recognizes that push/ pull between trying to "hold onto" the deceased person, whilst having to let them go.

She talks about those days when all you want to do is hide underneath the duvet and not get up, because there seems to be no meaning/purpose to the day. All seems black/grey and everything seems like play acting or being in a bubble separated from the outside world which carries on regardless.

There is a a reassurance in knowing that you're not going mad that someone else has similar emotions/thoughts. although every grief is individual there are certain thoughts etc. that are experienced by many people.

It does gently suggest some things that will help like exercising and breaking down the day in micro- manageable chunks.

Most of all the author gives you "permission" to grieve in the way that you are able. She's not setting down rules and there's something about this book which gives you relief because there are no expectations placed upon you.

Having worked as a counsellor specialising in grief for over 10 years, I found this to be a refreshing approach to grief in a market where many books jostle for your attention. I would recommend this book to give to anyone who is going through the grieving process.

Practical and common sense. A refreshing approach to grieving

Ok so I was really mixed on this book.

It was predominantly based on the authors personal experience of the loss of her mum, which made it more relatable and real.

However, it felt like she sometimes wouldn’t stick to her own preachings. I would read one chapter talking about how grief looks different for everyone, with a few pages on saying that the First Year is the worst (“it’s true”), therefore, assuming what was the worst for her is also worst for everyone. However, equally, earlier in the book she talked about grief hitting people at different times - so it just felt like there wasn’t consistency.

The book is not suitable really for people still suffering with grief after several years, as it is clearly written aimed at people who have just lost someone important.

As someone who lost my Mum aged 51 (I was 19), this book didn’t help me at all. However, if you are in recent stages of loss it may help a little, but don’t expect anything new or exciting from it.

This is such a lovely, helpful, practical read for those who are grieving.

It's written in a gently way that is not at all patronising and it's got practical hints and tips.

A useful guide to those grieving as well as those who don't know what to say to those grieving.

I highly recommend this important read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

My mother-in-law passed away a few months ago, after a short illness (darn Cancer). My wife was shook to her core, and remains grieving. While I, too, grieve our loss, I needed to understand my wife's perspective, and this book is supportive in that way. If my wife was a reader, I'd encourage her to read it, as I think it's really beneficial for those grieving, but it certainly helps us support those around us who are grieving, too. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

McNulty gave a beautiful rendering of her grief-filled experience losing her mother. Before reading this book, I wasn't sure if this topic was tied to death; having not lost many close people in my life, I had to be intentional to sympathize and consider this topic at a deeper level. I imagine a decent amount of readers do not have a good relationship with their mother; any future additions, perhaps "mom" could be replaced with parent.

The Grief Handbook provides guidance from someone who has been there. There is no "one size fits all" approach. Bridget McNulty shows us that the best we can do is understand our emotions, tune into our needs and communicate with those around us. The loneliness of bereavement can take its toll on mental health. This book provides support and guidance.

As a nurse, this resonated so much with me. Working in the ICU and during the pandemic, death and grief has often been at the forefront. As a person, I have lost people and even though I deal with death in a professional capacity, grief is still very personal and hard to deal with.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book has been a Godsend to me. I lost my wife a few months ago through Covid and have been struggling ever since. I have tried to read books, I talk to a counsellor but this book has helped me than anything else.

It’s short, straight forward and totally to the point and the lessons and suggestions it imparts are simple and effective.

I can recommend it to anyone in mourning and also to their friends and family members who struggle to know what to say to us.

‘What’s the story of your love, rather than the story of your grief?’

I was granted early access to this book courtesy of NetGalley - thank you! - and it was the book I didn’t realise I needed. This is a journal-cum-memoir that explains the many complexities of grief, through snapshots from professionals, reflection exercises and personal anecdotes from the author (who sadly lost her mum).

Throughout the pandemic, I lost 4 people I loved - most notably my father, under traumatic circumstances - and this book has been extremely helpful in helping me to pinpoint the emotions I felt at the time, and those that I continue to experience now, months later. What I found particularly helpful was the discussion around ‘complicated grief’ - grief which, for whatever reason, is disrupted (for me, the pandemic and having very recently started a new job had consequences that I am still unpicking). I wish that I’d had this book to read and work through in those first few days and months.

I don’t often read self-help books but this one jumped out at me. Perhaps an unconscious part of me knew it was necessary to delve into those painful places.

What I loved most about this book was the emphasis of non-judgement throughout. Everyone grieves differently and the non-linear nature of it is frequently referenced. It felt like a safe space in which to explore those emotions. What also helped was having the personal accounts of the author to also refer to; I found myself completely empathising with everything she said (especially the terrible wave of grief seven months later - a place I’m at currently!) Our situations were so different, but in many ways very much similar too, which is so comforting. Grief is an unfortunate eventuality for all of us; it is common, despite how alienating it can feel at its darkest points.

Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who has experienced a close personal bereavement. However, I think this is also good for those with someone close to them going through a bereavement; addressing well-meaning but ultimately harmful adages (such as anything beginning with ‘at least’, as beautifully and concisely worded in here) provides a helpful tool for those wanting to comfort others in their times of need.