Popular author and animal rights advocate Jim Willis reviews a new book on pet loss and grief called "How to ROAR: Pet Loss Grief Recovery" by author Robin Jean Brown.
From Jim Willis:
I'm sometimes asked to contribute a writing to a book
or write a recommendation, and sometimes I do it with
trepidation, always gratis, because I don't yet know
the author and am not familiar with his/her work. This
book includes one of my writings and I received my
copy of the book today. It's the best book on the
subject of coping with the loss of a pet that I've
seen yet!
I have a couple of friends who teach coping with pet loss classes/seminars, and I hope they'll pay attention to this book. I myself have been asked on occasion if I would teach such a class, because I include in my own book some pieces that have to do with pet loss, and I've always declined. You'd tell me your story, I'd tell you mine, and we'd both need two boxes of tissues to finish the rest of the interaction. That's not being effective. The author Robin Jean Brown is effective in this book and has turned her own grief into a focused recovery process that includes journaling.
The ISBN # is 1411656539 and it's for sale at http://www.lulu.com/content/170479 or from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1411656539/
The "Roar" in the title stands for:
R = Respect your loss and grief
O = Own your reality
A = Affirm yourself
R = Reclaim our life
As an editor, I can speedread, and I spedread this book. I'll sit down with it in a quiet moment and reread it at a leisurely pace. One phrase from the book jumped out at me immediately and was absolutely applicable to my own life: "Don't become your grief." Robin got it "right." As you may know, I lost 14 animals in minutes, in a fire, and never believed I could have survived that. I wish I would have had Robin's book available to help me through the process, but maybe that's why I understand everything she has tried to accomplish in this helpful, compassionate book.
We've known since Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross about the five stages of grief. Finally, we animal people and our related professionals are recognizing that the loss of a constant animal companion who has shown us uncondtional love can be devastating. Many of us wallow in our grief, and now we have a sensible, practical, compassionate book to help us over some of the greatest griefs in our lives. This isn't one of those self-help book that just expresses platitudes and bumpersticker logic, but actually leads the reader through the grief process when the grieving are too grieving to do it for themselves.
My compliments to the author and may her book help to heal all who have trouble coping with the loss of an animal loved one and cherished family member. I am honored to have one of my writings included and consider that a tribute to every one of the precious animals I ever shared my life with and lost.
All best,
Jim
Jim's book, "PIECES OF MY HEART - Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature" (includes "How Could You?")
is available in the USA, the UK and Europe. For more info and a special fundraising discount, see:
http://www.crean.com/jimwillis/
