On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, (2005, Scribner) by David Kessler and death and dying pioneer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—the co-author’s last book before she died—packs power and insight into a cogent book. Just because this is not easy reading, and I write this as one in grief who grieves for a lost loved one, doesn’t mean it’s not essential to read.

The book is packed with wisdom. The loss of a pet, the loss of property, the loss of the one you love who’s still alive—everything and anything of value can be grieved when you lose it; the authors understand the unnamed, undisclosed, concealed hollowness and sorrow that lies within. They know how to lift the flap that shows, how to peel grief gently and gingerly back to get past what’s dead and begin to live again. This book review is the first of several articles I’ve promised about grief.

Kessler and Kübler-Ross end the story of coping with grief with shocking and damning examples from their private lives—the examples are astonishing—so know that the book’s rewards will be redeemed. I’ll provide quotes and excerpts to demonstrate and elucidate the insights. But be forewarned: the reader must want to learn, figure and come to know what is grief. On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss can scratch the itch, enlighten and heal.