Everything You Wanted to Know about the Afterlife but Were Afraid to Ask

by Hollister Rand

From the world class spiritual medium and author of the “compassionate yet educational” (John Edward, author of Infinite Quest) I’m Not Dead, I’m Different comes an insightful exploration into what it’s like on the other side.

Is there really an afterlife? Do spirits still feel love for us? What is it like when we cross over?

After more than twenty-five years of bringing comfort to tens of thousands of people, Hollister Rand brings her incredible knowledge and experience to this accessible and comprehensive book that takes you on an eye-opening journey into the afterlife.

With warm-hearted sincerity, Rand offers you a clear-eyed and uplifting view into an unknown universe and teaches you how to navigate your life on this earthly plane with eternity in mind. In an increasingly uncertain world, there is only one guarantee: we all face the same outcome. Featuring her signature humor and infused with authenticity regarding her own spiritual journey, Rand provides comfort, clarity, and laughs along the way.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Grief

288 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Hollister Rand is a clairvoyant, clairaudient, and clairsentient medium, and is the internationally published author of "I'm Not Dead, I'm Different." TV and radio appearances include Oxygen’s "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," Sirius XM’s "The Séance" with John Edward, KOST FM’s "Radio Medium" and "Coast to Coast" with George Noory.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be read by anyone whose loved one - family, friends or pets - has passed on. Answers so many questions and will make you feel better if you are grieving a loss. The author received spirit communication as a child and has worked as a medium for the past 25 years. Exceptionally written and easy to digest.

[Angela Natividad · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In the afterlife, thought is creation.”

It took time for me to get on board with Rand's writing style. It flows the way a person speaks, with whimsical peaks and valleys, and the formatting was odd, though that's more a galleys issue than a content one.

Once I got past these distractions, I found that the book made elegant points, like the one above, which I liked a great deal: This idea that, like plumes of smoke, our very thoughts can nourish, entertain and convey comfort or fears to the people we have "lost." And we all lose people eventually, though Rand observes that isn't as fixed a border as we believe.

The book is organised as a series of questions one might ask about the afterlife, making it easy to skim for relevance. Those questions include whether there are seasons or climates in the afterlife, whether spirits can communicate with you via animals or flowers, and whether pets have afterlives, too. The whole "god" thing is also addressed.

Throughout the book, Rand uses examples from her work to illustrate abstract ideas—for example, the loss of physical limitations are illustrated by a spirit who "changed outfits" six times in a single sitting. She also provides a primer on mediumship, and gives tips on both managing grief, and becoming more receptive to loving spirit communications in everyday life.

A lot of comfort can be found here, but it's also a charming book for helping address the kinds of questions children might have. There's a feeling of openness and creativity here that echoes the sentiment I first noted above, and I think that's a healthy way to approach a passage that's inevitable for all of us, but shrouded in dread. Much of what Rand has to say comes down to this: Trust yourself. If you feel a loving presence, that is because it is actually there.

[Asuka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start this review out with mentioning that I feel you need to be open to spiritual thoughts and ideas before reading this book, or you probably won't enjoy it. That being said I, myself, am into spiritual thoughts, theories, and ideas. I enjoyed this book very much, while yes, it is a book; It feels very personal, as if Hollister Rand is talking to you herself. This book is very well organized, there aren't traditional chapters or parts, instead the contents list a series of questions. You can easily find something specific this way, whether it be jumping to something that really piques your curiosity on a first read, or looking for something you would like to find at a later time. Hollister Rand writes in a warm and welcoming way, while this book is about the afterlife and essentially death, it feels comforting. This book looks at many things in a positive light, and I feel it can help those during the grieving process, as well as in general to deal with the sometimes stressful thoughts of death. Dying is inevitable for all of us, and I believe it is in our best interest to accept it, and stop looking at it in such a negative way.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I heard about this book my interest was piqued and I wanted to give it a read. I've always been interested in the afterlife or what could possibly happen after death, so I was very eager to read this one.

I loved the question and answer format that Rand uses in this book, and really appreciated how a lot of her answers included personal stories and anecdotes. The information she provides is very informational and in a lot of ways very heartwarming or comforting. This is a great book for anyone who might have questions or be wondering about what may happen after death, or if there is anything beyond death. It could also in some ways be a good read for people who may be grappling with the loss of loved ones and have questions about the afterlife.

Thank you again to Beyond Words Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[DK Simoneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review: I usually prefer when an author narrates their own book, this one in particular. It was especially good to hear the excitement and hushed tones while listening. I have a very solid spiritual belief and much of this book reinforced or added to it. However I find that no matter the teacher—their personal beliefs do get intertwined some - and how can they not, they are humans trying to explain something so very big and not human. They all do their best to leave it out. But I found a few thoughts here that I would disagree with. I really don’t believe in karma or that spirits have arguments or remorse. I’m not entirely sure those were exactly messages being conveyed here, but in the human explanation one could interpret it that way. Overall a definite worthwhile read if you are interested in exploring the topic.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book in an easy to read format of questions and answers. Hollister Rand is a psychic medium who conducts readings for the living to contact the dead and vice versa. I have to believe that there are ways to communicate with spirits. I have visited Lily Dale, New York truly think it is a spiritual place. She writes with humor and insight. She tells of her personal experiences along with some of her clients encounters. I especially like the questions about pets and how they stay in contact. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Donna DeNomme · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I LOVE this book. In her delightfully engaging and endearing way, Hollister Rand covers sixty-one typical questions about the afterlife. But the reader receives so much more – precious insights and suggestions for this life – of course she makes the point that it’s actually all one! The book itself is easy to hold with sections divided masterfully, forecasting it to be a treasured reference book; tap in again and again for wisdom and wit to uplift your days and season your nights.”

Donna DeNomme, author of 8 Keys to Wholeness and As You Feel, So You Heal

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me at the right moment.

It's been quite a year of "loss" personally and I really needed the reminder and reassurance of my loved ones not being " gone". It is very comforting to know that our pets ( whom I love like children) are also with us when we need them. My co-worker gets the best signs from her spirit son and I will now use some of the techniques that Hollister describes to connect with my spirit family. I recommend this to anyone who feels loss because of death to read this as it will help bring peace to replace pain.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stuff

I really enjoyed this and if you are open to this type of thing then I think you probably will as well. There’s a lot of information covered, really something for everyone.

I found a lot of the messages quite comforting. At a time when the world is so crazy this was a wonderful reprieve.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Beyond Words Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

[Tiffany Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It covers everything one could wish to know about the afterlife, as the title suggests. I found it highly informative and comforting. This is a book that I will go back to and read again. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the afterlife.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time putting it down. It is engaging and informative. I learned about topics I thought I already knew about and discovered things I didn’t know I wanted to know. I deeply enjoyed the humor, joy, and love throughout.

[Eugene Kuark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enlightening!

This was a fascinating read and very enlightening. It answered a lot of questions I had about the afterlife. The question and answer format was easy to comprehend and was very readable and easy to understand.

[Magnolia Izquierdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning about the unknown

Easy to read, writing in a simple and funny way. This book brings a lot of details that helps us how to live on Earth and communicate with loved ones in Spirit

[Devra Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got a galley copy early of this Amazing book. Worth the read for sure! You will love this.

[Hilary Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible info

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in afterlife, I would recommend it. It is filled with love!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe in the afterlife and have had the pleasure of meeting Hollister. I enjoyed this book filled with her knowledge and experiences.

[Dagmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

+een halve ster omdat de schrijfster me zo lieffff lijkt

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is surprisingly good. I've never heard of the author, and I"m open to the afterlife, spirits, etc. I expected pithy answers, but most answers are pages long, and provide helpful details and stories. While this won't answer all of your questions, it should cover many. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!