After This

May 15, 2015

Smith (Rules of Inheritance) lost both her parents and her best friend before she was 25 years old, and she eventually became a hospice grief counselor. The birth of her daughters reawakened the deep, unresolved grief of her losses and anxiety regarding her own mortality. Rather than succumb to fear and dread she began to explore possible avenues to reconnect to her departed loved ones and to better understand what happens after we die. Smith began by discussing death and the potential of an afterlife with religious leaders. Not content, the author engaged trance mediums including the famous John Edwards, participated in past-life regressions, and attended soul-retrieval workshops. Although not all of her experiences were positive, each activity led her closer to understanding the eternal nature of the human soul and the permanence of our connection to others through love. Poignant letters to her daughters encapsulate the learnings from each of these experiences. VERDICT Readers seeking solace to their grieving or those who simply wish to explore life's greatest mystery will find this a thoughtful, compassionate, and well-written work.--Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States Lib., Portland, OR

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