You Can't Do It Alone: A Widow's Journey Through Loss, Grief and Life After

by Maria Quiban Whitesell, Lauren Schneider (With)

A widow and a mental health expert on coping with grief provide a supportive guide for anyone dealing with traumatic loss.

When Maria Quiban Whitesell's husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), a deadly form of brain cancer, she was completely unprepared. Now, after going through hell and back, Whitesell knows that she never wants anyone to feel as lost as she did. In You Can't Do It Alone, Whitesell teams up with licensed therapist Lauren Schneider to offer a welcoming and supportive guide to healing from any traumatic loss, helping you:

Discuss a serious diagnosis in an honest, clear manner
Regain control over your life when it feels like chaos
Find your own support group
Deal with memories, family and friends
Balance work, caregiving, and parenting

With powerful and moving clarity, Whitesell tells her story of struggle and heartbreak, reaching out her hand and inviting you to walk the path toward healing together, so that you truly know that you are not alone.

Genres: Grief, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2020

Reviews

[Ghazalehsadr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book thinking it would be more about grieving and would be beneficial for my mum because my dad died recently. That was not the case. It is a good book but was not what I needed.

You should read this book if you are currently dealing with a loved one diagnosed with terminal illness. The writer walks you through her experience of losing her husband to cancer and there are good pieces of information to help you prepare for your hard journey ahead. But it is all an autobiography and highly personal. If you want a book that is more academic and more general, this is not gonna be a good choice. Instead, read “It’s OK that You Are Not OK” and “The After Grief”.

You should also read this book if you are soon going to lose a partner and or have already lost them and you have a young child. Each chapter ends with notes from a therapist trained in grief therapy about what you should do and not do if you have kids. Most people don’t know how to include their children in the process of a parent’s diagnosis, death and funeral. This book gives great advice on such matters.

[the real Timtim Book man · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sad to lose someone that was diagnosed with geloblastoma and telling you kid that he lose his dad because he was sick. It sad that it came back and this time they didn't know how long they would have with him. Going through this book as I was reading open my heart and to know what kind of diagnose it was. Told me that anyone can get sick and we can't predict the future and have to buckle up for the next journey to find Away to fix this and it sad that they couldn't. But it was good for her to come out and write a book about her of a good person she meet and merryed and had one kid. In life you just have to be brave and she was being brave for all of us now. This book will help you in away, even if you don't have a sick one in the family? Now as I was done with this book, I know now what the name is called and get to learn as I was reading this books d thanks for a great read!!!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sort of less than it was cracked up to be. I think the parts about how to work with kids who are going through loss and grief were useful — especially the therapist’s sections. But Maria’s life was and is so privileged and different from most (24 hour nursing care from the time her husband was diagnosed! Extended time off work to travel, with healthcare arranged for her husband at each destination! Parents who essentially moved in to care for her son! Many many months off work with no effect on her tv career!) that it is hard to relate to it. I do appreciate that she wrote one of few books available on GBM and in doing so is helping to draw attention to this terrible disease.

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thirsting for these books lately.... right when I think it can't get any worse, it does , especially with a GBM brain tumor. Its so sad this book gave good insight into initial diagnoses all the way to the end and geese even after that, it sounds so hard to get thru this journey.... The cover of book is real solid, and even tho these books are hard to read I want to know more about it.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t do it alone is a self help book about passing through pain, grief, loss and the life after. The author shares her own feelings, her own experience that she went through when she lost her husband. Its uplifting that she’s talking about the pain and loss, backed by a licensed therapist. Honestly, this book is like a road map to process grief, gain control of emotions and how to keep memories alive. The book is entirely based on author’s emotions and her point of view. The language is good and I felt a little difficult to understand the therapy part, but it could be just me.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and Hachette books for reader’s copy of this book. The review is purely based on my opinion.