Lament for a Son
Author: Nicholas Wolterstorff
List Price: $10.00
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ISBN: 080280294X
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (July, 1987)
Sales Rank: 28,146
Average Customer Rating: 5 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
A True Comfort
A friend recommended this book to me after my first child was stillborn (Oct, 2003). I read countless books that were specific to my situation (books on stillbirth, heaven, and infant salvation), but this book spoke to me in a way that none of those did. The author's rare honesty with his raw emotion was immensely helpful to me as I often struggled to put my pain and hurt into words. Reading sections of this book to my husband also helped him to understand some of my feelings, which in turn helped him to know how to support me. The author asks the tough questions we all face when a loved one dies, and does not pretend to have the answers. Too often, I believe Christians are made to feel guilty when in the midst of deep grief. Countless times, I have been told that I should feel better because my son is in heaven. However, what I needed (and still need) was permission to grieve - permission to have a broken heart - without being made to feel that my faith is not strong enough. This book did exactly that. I recommend it to anyone who grieves for a loved one, or anyone in the position of supporting those who grieve.
Rating: 5 out of 5
An honest, profound exploration of grief
So often Evangelical Christians deal with life and suffering dishonestly, superficially and mindlessly. Wolterstorff's exploration of grief is none of that. Rarely does a man who thinks so clearly allow himself to feel so deeply. The result is a powerful and personal look at his experience of tragedy. I recommend this to everyone, whether they are grieving or not.Wolterstorff is a world-class philosopher, a professor Emeritus at Yale University. He is a rare professor: both an inspiring man and a brilliant teacher. But don't be intimidated. This book is human and accessible to everyone. One reason Wolterstorff is such a great philosopher and teacher is that he can explain deep ideas so clearly. Another reason is that he thinks authentically, he puts his soft heart as well as his sharp mind into his thought.
This book will comfort the suffering, not superficially but genuinely. And it will make us all think, teach us all how to be human more fully.
Rating: 5 out of 5
This book speaks to the struggle of grief like no other
Wolterstorff has written a brief, yet poingnantly reflective book on his journey through the valley of grief. He lost his 25 year-old son to a tragic mountain climbing accident, and wrote this book as he writes in the preface "to give voice to [his] grief." He continues "Though it is intensely personal, I have decided now to publish it, in the hope that it will be of help to some of those who find themselves with us in the company of mourners."This book is powerfully moving and brought tears to my eyes when I first read it. Wolterstorff voices many of the often unspoken feelings that mourners go through- from intense sadness to anger, to questioning, to longing for the loved one whom has died.
His reflections are powerful yet concise, and he has written the book in the style of a journal- documenting his struggle to grieve and cope with the intense anger and sadness of losing his son. Ultimately he finds his faith to be his greatest source of comfort and strength, but not before a long journey through the dark wilderness of grief.
I have also found this book to be extremely comforting and helpful- both in coping with my personal losses, as well as for bereaved family members in the grief support group that I facilitate. This book should be required reading for ANYONE who has lost a loved one, or works with the bereaved or is close to someone who has lost a loved one. I highly recommend it.
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