Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet


Grief Notes: Walking through loss by Tony Horsfall


Raw and honest account following the death of the author's wife of 47 years from cancer

 

Grief NotesGrief Notes: Walking through loss: The first year after bereavement
By Tony Horsfall
BRF 
ISBN: 978-1-80039-126-0
Reviewed by Sue Clements-Jewery



There is no shortage of books about bereavement, what to expect,  stages of grief, how to cope, and so as I opened this book I wondered what it could add to the mounting pile of Christian contributions to the understanding of an experience common to all human beings.

Tony Horsfall, best known for retreat leading and his writing about resilience and depth in Christian ministry, lost his wife, Evelyn to cancer in July 2020,in the early months of the pandemic. They had been married for 47 years and she had been suffering from cancer for four years prior to her death.

The author uses the notes he made and kept during the first year of his widowhood as the basis for his account, adding paragraphs of explanation, links to other sources about grief and biblical quotes. 

The book has value in that it is a raw and honest account of his personal journey.  This is the part of the books that I found connected best with me as the reader, as he shares his vulnerability, his adjustment to living alone (in lockdown) and picking up the threads of his life, including learning now to look after himself for the first time since he married Evelyn.

Clearly, his faith sustained him, and his friends and family supported him both practically and emotionally. Joining in a GriefShare course online helped him normalise his experience and find encouragement from others in similar situations.

Who might be helped by this book? Anyone who has enjoyed the author’s books and feels that he is on their wavelength (Deep calls to Deep and Rhythms of Grace to name a couple). Those in ministry who would appreciate an accessible resource for someone who is grieving.

For anyone familiar with theories of grief this may be less useful as (being written over a year) it is quite repetitive. I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone who has lost their life’s partner suddenly, without any preparation for what lies ahead. Such a person might well feel that the Horsfalls were given time to prepare for the end and they were not.  
 

Sue Clements-Jewery is a Pastoral Supervisor


 
Baptist Times, 21/10/2022
    Post     Tweet
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
'Brings her unique experiences as a novelist to bear on the nature of the text, while sharing her insights as a female writer on the importance of women'
Giving the Church, by Michael Moynagh
Giving the Church is a comprehensive critique of how the church at large presents itself to contemporary society
A Handful of Pennies, by Afaf Musallam
This Palestinian Christian Arab woman’s long journey searching for identity and peace works on several levels
Easter Inside Out: The story as if you were there, by David Kitchen
​​'If this kind of retelling scripture is something you have never tried, this is a great place to start'
Raised to Stay, by Natalie Runion
The author uses her own trauma to reflect and share what she has learned; an engaging read but perhaps more suitable for a US context
365 Truths for Every Woman's Heart, by Holley Gerth
'A really useful resource that when everything gets too much in the day (or night), can provide a calming reminder of how God never leaves us or forsakes us'
    Posted: 21/03/2025
    Posted: 04/10/2024
     
    Text Size:  
    Small (Default)
    Medium
    Large
    Contrast:  
    Normal
    High Contrast