cover image Writing to Heal the Soul: Transforming Grief and Loss Through Writing

Writing to Heal the Soul: Transforming Grief and Loss Through Writing

Susan Zimmermann. Three Rivers Press (CA), $13 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-609-80829-0

For years after her daughter was diagnosed with a neurological disorder, writer Susan Zimmermann (Grief Dancers), then a lawyer, longed for a miracle cure. When the cure failed to surface, Zimmermann quit her job, began writing about her pain and experienced a different miracle: ""I'd stopped hurting."" In Writing to Heal the Soul: Transforming Grief and Loss Through Writing, Zimmermann urges others to find solace in journal keeping. Drawing on experiences of her family and friends, she shares inspirational stories of self-discovery, then guides readers through writing exercises (""remember a time when everything went wrong""; ""list five new things you are going to do"") designed to stimulate reflection. (Feb.)