Then Death Came

by Sara Rian

"Then Death Came" is a collection of short poems about death loss and grief. This collection speaks to our loved ones who have died, to fellow grievers, and to the society we are grieving in. Through this contemporary poetry and prose, broken hearts can feel less alone in their grief and less pressure to put their pieces back together.

Genres: Poetry

133 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Kendra Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren’t adequate words to explain how much this book meant to me. I lost my mama on May 31, 2024 (almost one year at the time I’m writing this). I have not found a lot of solace in reading books about grief. I have found it quite hard to find things that are helpful in this time. This book was a balm to my soul. I felt seen and understood. I know I will reread these poems over and over for the rest of my life. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

"but have you noticed how grief
hums at a frequency only we can hear."

this beautiful book captures what it feels like to grieve and live with grief. wonderful, painful and heartbreaking read. highly recommend for anyone looking to explore their own grief.

[Amber Holecek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, and highly recommend for those working through loss.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon Sara Rian late one night after my mom passed away in the fall (Sept 2024) - I developed a routine of crying until I fell asleep, but my insomnia was worse that night, so I was scrolling on Instagram to distract myself. I can't adequately put into words how lonely I felt. I think I typed something random like "my mom died" or "mom grief" into the Instagram search bar, and one of Sara's poems popped up at the very top of the feed. I read it and immediately felt seen in a way that I hadn't before (I've read a good chunk of grief novels, but they haven't had the same effect); it was like someone else was in my head writing down all the thoughts I was having. I spent a good hour looking at every single one of her posts (and crying some more) and then ordered three of her poetry books, including this one, directly from her. They're signed "with love" - everything about it feels like a hug.

I love love love this little book, and I'm so grateful to the author for sharing such raw, heartbreaking, and relatable poetry with us.

[Lily Burdett Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“you had a sad death
but you are not a sad thing.
your life is important.
your story is more than it’s ending
i am sorry it often brings more tears than smiles.
i promise that you are far from a sad thing.”

[Kendall]

Absolutely stunning, raw, and honest collection of poems about grief, love, and loss. Beautifully done and so special to read.

[Amanda Velez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply yet excruciatingly cathartic. I read it all in a day and can see myself going back to this whenever my grief is loud.

[Tannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried the whole way through. The words were speaking my pain.

[Reyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟4.5/5🌟