Bereavement is a journey to be travelled, not an illness to be treated or a problem to be solved. When grief continues, bereaved people often feel they have failed, have been abandoned by others, or let down by God. As a result, their journey into the future is a hard one. Author of A Need for Living , Tom Gordon writes with sensitivity and clarity about real people as they begin to understand their journeys of bereavement. He draws on his experience as a parish minister and hospice chaplain and his extensive involvement with bereavement support, as well as offering honest insights from his own journey of discovery. The book helps us understand the unplanned and often frightening twists and turns grief forces the bereaved to face. In recognising the new and overwhelming feelings of anger and distress as normal, it gives carers important insights into the processes of loss. Through prayers and poetry, it gives a voice to both anguish and hope. Above all, it offers companionship on the journey of bereavement to those who thought no one could ever understand their loss and grief.