When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child
Erin Leigh Nelson and Colleen E. Montague
Baker Books, 192 pages, Published February 4, 2025
When Grief Comes Home immediately earned a spot on my pastoral care bookshelf when it was published a year ago; now, as we focus on grief and loss, it receives a well-deserved review in the Outlook.
Erin Leigh Nelson endured unimaginable losses and channeled her experiences into Jessica’s House, where she and therapist Colleen Montague support children and families through their grief. They have written a tender guide to help parents and spouses everywhere find new rhythms, routines and paths to healing following their own losses.
The authors write to the adults, modeling how to support their child(ren) after a loss. Parents often repress their own grief as they put on a brave front for their kids and tackle the increased work of solo parenting, and Nelson and Montague gently offer space and permission for parents to tend to themselves. Brilliantly, they offer ways for adults to meet their needs and their children’s needs simultaneously, rather than suggesting time-consuming practices that could feel burdensome. The authors also suggest practical, tactful advice to friends, neighbors, and churches seeking to offer support.
While no two losses are the same, Nelson and Montague’s thoughtful work responds to common feelings and experiences with practical and emotional guidance that’s applicable to the immediate aftermath of a loss and the weeks and months that follow.
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