The Five Ways We Grieve by Susan Berger reviews the different ways that people respond to death and grief. I personally gravitate more towards Grieving Mindfully by Sameet Kamur when it comes to books on coping with grief. Both books stress that the healthy way to cope with grief is to find meaning from the loss and develop a new identity that incorporates the loss. What distinguishes Berger’s book is that she uses research to identify 5 main types of identities that people develop after suffering a loss (whereas Kamur focuses more on the process of grieving and feeling). The 5 identities are:

“Nomads – who have not yet resolved their grief and often don’t understand how their loss has affected their lives.

Memorialists – who are committed to preserving the memory of their loved ones by creating concrete memorials and rituals to honor them.

Normalizers – who are committed to …read more