cover image A Gift of Hope: How We Survive Our Tragedies

A Gift of Hope: How We Survive Our Tragedies

Robert Veninga. Little Brown and Company, $14.95 (308pp) ISBN 978-0-316-89904-8

Crisis, the sage observed, is ""Opportunity riding on dangerous winds.'' And there is, even in the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a painful divorce, opportunity for renewal, the author, a Minnesota public health administrator, shows. While we go through definite ``stages of heartbreak,'' described in sensitive detail here, we can also use ``survival strategies'' to combat them, beginning with caring for ourselves physically. Silence about feelings is a killer, according to Veninga, that builds misconceptions, guilt and regret. Families hit by tragedy can be torn apart when its members withdraw into private pain and blame. Sharing is imperative, the author advises, and forgiveness of self and others restores hope and meaning to life. With case histories, apt quotations from philosphers, and a listing of self-help organizations, the book is comprehensive, inspirational and highly readable. First serial to Ladies Home Journal; BOMC alternate; Better Homes & Gardens Book Club selection. Foreign rights: Lescher & Lescher. November 26