Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread that Connects Us Through Life and Death

by Dawn Diraimondo

When author Dawn DiRaimondo, PsyD, lost her brother in 2004, she found only one book on sibling loss. So, she wrote the book she wished she had then.

Surviving Sibling The Invisible Thread that Connects Us Through Life and Death is the gold standard of grief books, helping not only people who are grieving but also their therapists, partners, and friends better support their loved ones. The chapters are deliberately short and full of easy-to-find resources, and the book can be read cover to cover or picked up and put down again. This structure aids those who are struggling, who fatigue and lose focus easily under the weight of their grief.

Dr. DiRaimondo is a clinical psychologist whose specialties include working with clients who have experienced significant loss, including the loss of children, siblings, spouses, grandchildren, and young parents. Surviving Sibling Loss interweaves her personal and professional experience and knowledge of bereavement as well as the perspectives of fourteen individuals she interviewed who also lost siblings.

Genres: Grief

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2020

Reviews

[Judy Lipson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book for sibling loss. Dawn shares the story of the loss of her beloved brother Michael with deep love, honesty, and feelings that those of us who have lost siblings can relate to. In addition, Dawn asked questions of other siblings as the title states, The Invisible Thread That Connects Us. She writes, "We might have lost our siblings and loved ones physically, but it doesn't end our relationship with them. And we can continue to have them be a meaningful part of our families and our family stories." Thank you Dawn!

[Marie Polega · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent book on sibling grief. Hearing the author's story as well as quotes from other bereaved siblings that she interviewed was helpful, and the author also discussed several topics and provided suggestions not commonly seen in grief books.

[Lisa Padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I love most about this book is it’s pure emotion and honestly by the author.. There isn’t a religious angle or any way that the author pushes a way to grieve. As Dawn DiRaimondo the author writes each way to grieve is personal and she gives examples of her parents and her sister and others and hers is unique, just like all of us are unique. I felt like I was sitting in her living room and watching all of this and grieving in my own way. Her honestly and her no holds barred approach is an integral part of understanding sibling grief and parent grief and more.. I highly highly recommend this book for anyone and I think it would be of great use for therapists to have this book as a source of info as well as one they can pass out to their clients! Thank you Dawn DiRaimondo for sharing your journey !

[Clary Tepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! I stayed up late reading it because I just didn’t want to put it down. I am a psychologist who works with loss, and after reading this book, I recommended it to a number of my clients. They all thought it was great—they felt like the author really “got” the experience of sibling loss. I think this book is important for therapists to read, too, to deepen their understanding of this particular type of loss. Highly recommended all around.

[Brooke Siekman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. I’ve only read/listened to a handful of books about loss, because it has been so hard to find any that focus on sibling loss. I was very pleased that the author not only used her own experience, but also pulled in other different sibling losses. The things she spoke about really resonated with me & validated the things I have felt or wanted to experience over the last 5 years after losing my own brother.

I definitely recommend this to other sibling loss survivors.

[Deanna Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful

I lost my mom at age 42 when I was 21 and my brother was 17. In June 2021 I lost my baby brother at 48 unexpectedly then one month later I lost our father at age 81. This was a very helpful book. Sibling death isn’t really talked about….like we don’t count..like we didn’t lose anyone.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was how the author grouped the interview questions. Providing siblings the opportunity to reflect while understanding how others answered the same question.

[Olga Silchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s understanding of grief helped me cope with the sudden loss of my brother, Alex. She shares her experience of the loss of her brother, Michael.

[Susan Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a grief and loss therapist, author and podcaster. I interviewed Dr. DiRaimondo for my grief and loss podcast and found her and her book to be a breath of fresh air in the grief and loss space. Dr. DiRaimondo is such a compassionate therapist and deeply understands the complexities of sibling grief in loss both through her own experience of losing her beloved brother, Michael DiRaimondo, and also through her work.  
 
I interviewed so many people for my book who told me they went to one therapist and never went back because the therapist didn't get it. And by "it" they meant the heartache specific to sibling loss. Siblings are often the forgotten ones because people are focused on the parents and/or the deceased sibling's spouse and children if they are part of the equation. It's the siblings left behind that (for some) are expected to swallow their grief and be the strong ones to hold everything and everyone together. It can often feel like a very lonely and isolating experience.
 
Dr. DiRaimondo's book is such a gentle and supportive companion to anyone who is struggling to understand their heartache and the process of grieving and mourning. As a therapist, I always recommend that if people need more support to reach out to a therapist, clergy, or a trusted friend to help them get through a remarkably dark time. In addition, books like Dr. DiRaimondo can be a useful tool to not only remind surviving siblings they are not alone but to also learn new tools and techniques and gain a different perspective on what they are going through. Dr. DiRaimondo shares what it was like for her as a young adult who was just launching herself into the world of adulthood when she was hit with this unexpected tragedy and how she navigated this with her family.
 
It's been ten years since I lost my younger brother and as I read Dr. DiRaimondo's book, I was thinking how I wished this book was available during those dark times when I really needed a metaphorical hand to hold, reminding me always that I'm not alone. Dr. DiRaimondoand’s story offers readers an olive branch to hang on to when they feel like they’re drowing in the wild and raging rapids of grief.
 
I highly recommend this book not only for surviving siblings but for anyone who is either struggling with their loss or trying to support a friend or loved one through their grief journey.
 
Susan E Casey, author of Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clinical psychologist lost adult brother in combat. Not researched based, recommends mediums. Doesn't address much more than general grief experience. I was hoping for research about the specific effects of sibling grief.