Samuel writes: “Death is the great exposer: it forces hidden fault lines and submerged secrets into the open.” Grief, she believes, is “profoundly misunderstood”. Unresolved grief has been found to be at the root of 15% of psychiatric referrals but, as Samuel makes clear, resolution is not always straightforward or even possible. Samuel makes sure you never forget that death happens in life – and that life is messily ongoingGrief Works considers the deaths of partners, parents, siblings and children. Samuel makes sure you never forget that death happens in life – and that life is messily ongoing. • Grief Works by Julia Samuel is published by Penguin Life (£14.99).

Source: The Guardian March 12, 2017 06:56 UTC