The Golden Thread: Based on a True Story about Death, Grief and Healing

by Brenda Hartman, Zoya Kruse-Wu (Illustrator)

The Golden Thread was written to help children with their grief when a loved one dies. As a therapist specializing in death and grief, I have worked with many children and their families. I have found it common for children experiencing the death of a loved one to return to the death experience and re-examine it in the light of a new developmental stage and accompanying expanded understanding of the world. At these times, as a loving and trusted person in the child’s life, you may be asked questions about the death, including questions you answered previously and thought the child understood. Rereading this book at those times will help the child develop an ever-increasing understanding of the process of death, grief and healing. Children are often confused by their own and others’ feelings as the emotions come and go, especially in the time of grief. This story provides a guide for the healing journey of grief for children of all ages. The Golden Thread will help children identify the feelings and experiences related to their grief. The story provides an honest, open approach to death. It allows children to begin their developmental understanding of the process of life and death. The concepts of death and dying are complex and can even be difficult for adults to comprehend. Your children will discuss and explore these concepts directly and indirectly for the rest of their life. This book is intended to be read and reread many times. May this book be helpful to all the children and adults.

54 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2014