cover image In the Wake of Death: Surviving the Loss of a Child

In the Wake of Death: Surviving the Loss of a Child

Mark Cosman. Moyer Bell, $22.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-55921-157-4

In June 1991, Berlyn Cosman was shot to death while asleep with her date in the ""quiet room"" rented from the hotel by 14 high-school students for use after their senior prom, in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Her assailant, a 19-year-old high-school dropout named Paul, was later tried, found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life. In this heartrending but uplifting tale, her father, a vice-president of Volunteers of America in Los Angeles, recounts his attempts to come to terms with the loss of his daughter. One of the greatest obstacles in his path is the shattered faith in the goodness of God that he had hardly questioned since his youth. Since his daughter's death, Cosman has painstakingly dissected that faith and groped toward an understanding of the tragedy that struck his family. After much searching and philosophical reflection poignantly communicated here, he finds that ""the greatest power a human has lies in interpreting life."" This book should help those who have lost a loved one to violence. (May)