Reader Notes

This book/review deals with homicide and suicide.

Recommended Audience

This book is recommended for anyone seeking examples of not only a well-rendered grief-healing project but also anyone who appreciates good poetry and stunning nature photography.

Review

Kathy Allen, compiler and editor of Blue Hour, was/is the mother of Amory Hayden Tarr; she published Blue Hour to honor her son's memory after he took his father's life, and then his own. As her grief support specialist, I journeyed with Kathy through her healing process. Together we explored the grief healing concept of continuing bonds. Continuing bonds grief theory suggests that the focus of a healthy grieving process is for the griever to create and nurture a new relationship with their deceased loved one. According to the theory, staying connected with a loved one is not only normal but also can be helpful in coping with grief and the pain of loss.

I suggested the book for the Remembering A Life reading list because Blue Hour is a touching and outstanding example of a continuing bonds grief project - a project that allowed Kathy and her daughter Ariel to move forward with their grief. The book's photographs - taken at locations around the world - are stunning and the poetry captivating in its stark simplicity. I recommend this book to anyone seeking examples of not only a well-rendered grief-healing project but also anyone who appreciates good poetry and stunning nature photography.

About the Reviewer

Elizabeth Lewis is a certified grief support specialist, spiritual counselor and resilience trainer; she is a frequent blog contributor to Remembering A Life.