Author:Timothy Snyder
A virus is not human, but the reaction to it is a measure of humanity.
America has not measured up well. Tens of thousands are dead for no reason. America is supposed to be about freedom, yet illness and fear make its citizens less free. After all, freedom is meaningless if we are too ill to think about our right to happiness or too weak to pursue it. So, if a government is making its people unhealthy it is also making them unfree.
On December 29, 2019, Timothy Snyder fell gravely ill. As he clung to life he found himself reflecting on the fragility of health, not recognized in America as a human right, but without which all rights and freedoms have no meaning. And that was before the pandemic. We have since watched understaffed and undersupplied hospitals buckling under waves of coronavirus patients. The federal government made matters worse through wilful ignorance, misinformation, and profiteering.
This passionate intervention outlines the lessons we must all learn, wherever we are, and finds glimmers of hope in dark times. Only by enshrining healthcare as a human right, elevating the authority of doctors and truth, and planning for our children's future, can everyone be properly free.
Freedom belongs to individuals. But to be free we need our health, and for our health we need one another.
An invaluable, outstanding and unique resource laced with empathy, wisdom and constructive ideas for those whose lives have been touched by loss and tragedy.
—— Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE, Founder and President of Grief Encounter and author of GriefbookHope Edelman remains unmatched in perfectly weaving touching personal anecdotes with illuminating scientific data, to remind us we are not alone. The author of the seminal Motherless Daughters continues to be at the forefront of changing how the world understands loss, and The AfterGrief is no exception.
—— Rachel Reichblum of That Good GriefIn the 1970s the phone rang one Friday afternoon when I was aged thirteen and I was told my mum was dead. If I'd had a road map like this for dealing with grief it would have changed my childhood.
—— Tony Livesey, journalist and broadcaster at BBC Radio 5 LiveA mix of personal stories and advice from bereavement expert Hope Edelman
—— Woman's WeeklyWhen we live in uncertain times, we look for things that help us make sense of our world. The AfterGrief offers just that. It's an invaluable, outstanding and unique resource laced with empathy, wisdom and constructive ideas for those whose lives have been touched by loss and tragedy. Personally, as one of the country's leading experts on grief, I cannot wait to recommend this.
—— Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE, Founder and President of Grief Encounter and author of GriefbookIn the depths of grief, whether it be from a recent loss or from a lifetime ago, we seek permission and validation wherever we can get it. Hope Edelman remains unmatched in perfectly weaving touching personal anecdotes with illuminating scientific data, to remind us we are not alone. The author of the seminal Motherless Daughters continues to be at the forefront of changing how the world understands loss, and The AfterGrief is no exception.
—— Rachel Reichblum of That Good GriefTackling trauma like this is priceless. In the 1970s the phone rang one Friday afternoon when I was aged 13 and I was told my mum was dead. If I'd had a roadmap like this for dealing with grief it would have changed my childhood.
—— Tony Livesey, journalist and broadcaster at BBC Radio 5 LiveIf you're determinedly not a self-help kind of reader (like me), make an exception for [this book]. And if you're not a parent, don't dismiss it. The message is one of non-judgemental kindness. The sophisticated psychoanalytical version of my "count to ten and then say something kind" advice to my kids (and myself) when things start to fall apart
—— VogueAs a mother of a three year old, I have an aversion to the endless saccharine social-media posts about parenting. Perry's book is the antithesis of all that - practical and logical
—— EllePhilippa Perry goes through each stage of parenthood, from pregnancy to the teen years, suggesting emotional techniques that will help you to have a strong and healthy relationship with your babies and yourself
—— Mother & BabyIt gave me hope as a new parent that whatever learnt behaviour you've got from your mum and dad (...) you can learn from that but it doesn't have to stay with you
—— Babita Sharma, BBC NewsIn fact, I'd say Philippa Perry is one of the wisest, most sane and secure people I've ever met
—— Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Time Magazineshe writes with an inquisitive elegance rarely found in parenting guides (...) the book is still firm with parents but also forgiving (...) it is forgiving and persuasive - God, it's persuasive. I've yet to meet a parent who hasn't altered their parenting to some degree after reading it, myself included
I'm going to be honest Philippa, this has genuinely had such a positive impact on my life and my relationship with my daughter - so thank you very much for that
—— Josh WiddicombeA wise book on parents and children
—— The TimesThe main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection
—— i NewspaperI've had the most wonderful feedback from this episode. People stopping me on the street to say how much they've love the book's advice. Philippa's wisdom and delivery has resonated with many parents out there. I can't thank her enough for her time and energy
—— Fearne Cotton , Happy Place podcastIt is like a letter from a wise friend who happens to have done years of research (...) I am grateful for it
—— Aida Edemariam, The GuardianA wise book on parents and children
—— Saturday TimesThe main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection
—— iWeekendFreudenberger's outstanding achievement is that Lost and Wanted is also a moving story about down-to-earth issues like grief and loneliness
—— NPRTouching and enthralling
—— Sunday TimesStunning
—— Henrietta McKervey , via TwitterA tender portrait of a marriage and how we are formed by our closest relationships
—— Good HousekeepingHeart-wrenching ... Almost a parable, it's a cautionary tale for those failing to appreciate just how short life can be
—— RTÉ CultureIt's rare to read an account of a happy normal marriage and she does it brilliantly
—— Sue LeonardKathleen MacMahon writes with a confidence and ease and with an unerring sense of timing
—— Maeve Binchy , Irish TimesThe ecstasies, the agonies, the passion and the pain. Reading Clover Stroud is a whole body experience.
—— Polly SamsonAddresses what motherhood really feels like... She writes about raising five children with honesty and poignancy, revealing universal truths along the way.
—— Red MagazineStroud's warm and honest memoir is the take on parenting we all need. An unflinching look at how to hold on to your own personality when motherhood threatens to submerge it.
—— i NewspaperStroud’s clear-eyed look at how wildness and domesticity have entwined in her life is both heartening and inspiring.
—— Olivia LaingClover Stroud writes with such startling vivacity and honesty about motherhood, this book has its own heartbeat. It crackles with life - its messiness, darkness, and joy. I loved it.
—— Eve Chase, author Black Rabbit Hall and The Vanishing of Audrey WildeClover’s expertise is writing about family life in a way that feels both new and entirely familiar. How Clover talks about motherhood is very different to the ways you see it talked about – I think we’ve got two polarised narratives in media at the moment and she fuses them together to find this new place. She’s really put into words how I feel as a mother – that it is this intense, almost sickening, love, but it is also an absolute fear that you don’t ever know how you’d live without them. I really recommend My Wild and Sleepless Nights.
—— Pandora SykesHer descriptions leap off the page... It's the honesty that makes this book so compelling.
—— The SpectatorClover Stroud managed to write down all of the mania in one place, making me shed a tear and honk with laughter…she writes so eloquently about all we lose as well as gain through our children.
—— Emma Barnett , Good Housekeeping'Clover Stroud is a wonderful writer of the most colourful prose
—— ME+EM BookclubMy Wild and Sleepless Nights by Clover Stroud is a robust, raw and rare celebration of motherhood that had me laughing out loud one moment and crying the next.
—— Rachel Joyce , ObserverA captivating guide to the joys and terrors of motherhood.
—— Sunday Times best paperbacks of 2021An electrically candid memoir...raw, elemental and beautiful.
—— Daily Telegraph