In Lieu of Flowers A Conversation for the Living [Paperback]

“Grieving is as natural as breathing, for if we have lived and loved, surely we will grieve. . . .”

Nancy Cobb meets death in the most vital of places–in the lives of everyday people–and in doing so has found a way to infuse this darkest subject with light. Her candor and refreshing perspective make the deaths of those she has loved–and death itself–a subject to explore rather than to avoid.

Cobb’s personal experiences become a point of departure for what amounts to a longer conversation about loss. In telling stories about encounters with grief, Cobb opens us up to our own experiences, and she encourages us to accept and honor the “divine intersections” where the living meet the dying.“An elegant book . . . that lets readers know they aren’t alone.”
–Wall Street Journal

“Mesmerizing. Cobb is down to earth, funny, disturbingly direct.”
–Detroit Free Press

“An eloquent book. Cobb’s harrowing insistence that death be confronted without the veil of denial is made possible, and even more starkly compelling, by the grace and wit of her writing.”
–Kay Redfield Jamison, author ofAn Unquiet MindNancy Cobb grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She divides her time between Connecticut and New York City.Chapter Eleven: Children

Curiosity underscores every stage of life. Without it we would be a pretty dull bunch. Yet when it comes to death and grief, even the most curious among us clam up.

Carl Jung believed that "the negation of life's fulfillment is synonymous with the refusal to accept its ending. Not wanting to die," he wrote, "is identical with not wanting to live." InThe Healing Heart,Norman Cousins concludes that "death is not the enemy; living in constant fear of it is." How can the rest of us become more accepting of their wise conclusions?

Perl#-