Loss That Is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of the Early Death of a Mother or Father

More than 60 men and women who lost a parent at an early age contributed their stories to this investigation of an important life event by a practicing psychotherapist. Their stories--including accounts of some famous figures: C.S. Lewis, Virginia Woolf, Eleanor Roosevelt--shed light on a legacy of loss the author views as ``the psychological Great Divide, separating the world into a permanent `before and after.'"" Whatever form the impact of this loss takes in later adult life--it can be rage, driving ambition, fear of intimacy--these life stories amply demonstrate the indelible character of the mark left on the child. These are also stories of recovery, of people who became more than survivors, testifying to the repair of damage from childhood trauma. This enlightening presentation opens up a seldom discussed topic. (Sept.)