After experiencing the loss of four family members within five years, and witnessing one take their last breath, Jennifer Elliott experienced a shift-from being a death denier to going toe-to-toe with grief. Holding Grief: A Love Letter from a Recovering Death Denier is Elliott's very personal-but wholly universal-exploration of death and grief's relentless ebb and flow.

It's a memoir that offers accessible, action-driven self-help. In thirteen stand-alone remembrances of deaths that have touched her-of close relatives and neighbors, classmates and dear pets, those caused by accident or violence or simply because it was time-Elliott invites us into her life.

Shying away from sterile and sanitized discussions about death, she goes elbow-deep into the messy and complicated feelings associated with death and grief. As readers, we emerge not just with a deeper understanding but also with a toolkit for healing.

Elliott provides thirteen opportunities for personally addressing grief, each a stepping stone toward healing, all with the hope of developing a better relationship with grief and death. .