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A Thousand Pounds: Finding the Strength to Live and Love Under the Weight of Unbearable Loss
Crushed by the weight of life-changing loss, how do we find the strength to carry unbearable grief with peace? This award-winning book will pierce your heart and leave you changed. It is a journey from debilitating grief to a new depth of healing and hope.
With raw authenticity, Brianne Edwards shares her story of the loss of her son and gives readers a powerful encounter with the heart of a bereaved mother--yet this book is much more than a memoir. Masterfully combining story and research, Edwards accompanies readers through the painful wilderness of their own grief journey. Both academic and anecdotal, each chapter addresses the hard questions faced in grief, including:
how we find meaning in our sorrow
the value of leaning into the hard emotions
the wild emotions of early traumatic grief, the transitions of middle grief, and learning to carry the long-term grief that always remains
learning to forgive those who disappoint us as we grieve
the physical symptoms of grief
finding connection and companionship in our grief
wrestling with God because of our loss
With raw authenticity, Brianne Edwards shares her story of the loss of her son and gives readers a powerful encounter with the heart of a bereaved mother--yet this book is much more than a memoir. Masterfully combining story and research, Edwards accompanies readers through the painful wilderness of their own grief journey. Both academic and anecdotal, each chapter addresses the hard questions faced in grief, including:
how we find meaning in our sorrow
the value of leaning into the hard emotions
the wild emotions of early traumatic grief, the transitions of middle grief, and learning to carry the long-term grief that always remains
learning to forgive those who disappoint us as we grieve
the physical symptoms of grief
finding connection and companionship in our grief
wrestling with God because of our loss
- GenresSelf Help
232 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2022
17 people are currently reading
2331 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 8, 2022
Brianne passionately recounts her despairing journey of grief with genuine emotion after the unexpected loss of her infant son, Lachlan, from SIDS. Brianne eloquently draws the reader directly into her experiences causing the reader to feel like an actual participant insufflating the same thoughts and emotions that she was enduring.
I had the opportunity to read “A Thousand Pounds” only 6 months after my father passed away. Brianne has assisted in my personal ability to explore other pathways and thought processes of grief and coping in my own journey through the grief process.
I highly recommend this raw story of learning to “balance” the heavy weight of grief to allow a transformation from “hopelessness” to “hopefulness”.”
This book is relatable for anyone who has a loved one with a chronic illness, life-threatening condition or anyone who has lost a loved one despite the cause of the loss.
I admire Brianne’s vulnerability, honesty and courage to tell her story and her desire to honor Lachlan through assisting others in the grief process. I truly appreciate having been given the opportunity to experience “A Thousand Pounds” with Brianne and her family.
As a medical professional, I plan to recommend “A Thousand Pounds” to my patients who may be experiencing similar experiences or grief in general.
Priscilla Willander, MSPAS, PA-C
I had the opportunity to read “A Thousand Pounds” only 6 months after my father passed away. Brianne has assisted in my personal ability to explore other pathways and thought processes of grief and coping in my own journey through the grief process.
I highly recommend this raw story of learning to “balance” the heavy weight of grief to allow a transformation from “hopelessness” to “hopefulness”.”
This book is relatable for anyone who has a loved one with a chronic illness, life-threatening condition or anyone who has lost a loved one despite the cause of the loss.
I admire Brianne’s vulnerability, honesty and courage to tell her story and her desire to honor Lachlan through assisting others in the grief process. I truly appreciate having been given the opportunity to experience “A Thousand Pounds” with Brianne and her family.
As a medical professional, I plan to recommend “A Thousand Pounds” to my patients who may be experiencing similar experiences or grief in general.
Priscilla Willander, MSPAS, PA-C
July 7, 2022
Such a testimony of a love for her child! I lost a baby in 1986, and could find few resources to help me through my grief. After reading Brianne's story about the death of her beloved Lachlan, and her words of wisdom of growing through one's grief, I am convinced this is a book that would have served me well all those years ago, and has challenged me to reflect on feelings that I've buried for many years. My hope is that others who have lost a loved one will find help and healing by reading this book.
July 7, 2022
If you find yourself in a battle with grief, A Thousand Pounds is the book you can turn to. The author lays open her heart, sharing her raw and real truths about loss and living in a way that brings comfort, peace, and hope to the reader. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has made it through those first, ugly, dark days of grief and is now looking for a path forward. Thank you to author Bri Edwards for giving my heart and soul the wisdom and understanding they needed to keep carrying my own "thousand pounds."
September 26, 2024
Bri Edward’s "A Thousand Pounds" and "Bearing the Unbearable" by Joanne Cacciatore are tied for 1st place when it comes to the most helpful and relatable grief books I have read. I often re-open these two books and re-read the sections/quotes that are helpful to me. I have a bookmark placed right in Chapter 10 of this book because I often find myself wanting to return to the message about wrestling with God. The words at the beginning of the chapter felt like they came directly from my own thoughts in a way I could not yet define. As I continued to read, it was like that chapter was in response to my fears and shame I had below the surface and intertwined in all of this grief. I felt so much better to learn that all of my questions and anger were not a lack of faith but part of my relationship with Him... I had been feeling so betrayed and hurt (which still creeps in quite regularly) but hearing this message, in this way, has been helpful for me... so thank you to this amazing author!
October 30, 2023
As a mom who lost an adult child over 2 years ago, this was my first book about loss of a child and I couldn't have picked a better book. This book was just what my soul needed. The connection I feel with her over the loss of our children was amazing and it really does help to know that what I am going through is expected. No one wants to be part of this club but having advice to rely on to get through this tragedy helps. I agree with the other reviews that information and advice in the book could be helpful to any loss.
December 9, 2022
I would recommend this book to anyone that has experienced a significant loss. It has provided me with comfort and I plan to buy a copy for our local Hospice library for others to hopefully find comfort from as well.
January 6, 2024
"It was as if the author was writing my thoughts" (recently lost 1 1/2 year old daughter). This provided some source of support in this most unbearable time. Thank you to the author for having the courage and strength to write this book to help others who have lost children.
March 8, 2024
Beautiful and touching and helpful!!
April 27, 2025
I loved this!!! Such a good book about loss and grief and wrestling through it all.
October 20, 2023
Bri writes from the perspective of a woman who lost her 10-month-old son to SIDS. Her book was given to me as a gift by an acquaintance who heard me say I was struggling with grief. While our circumstances are not at all similar, Bri's beautiful writing and well-researched sources were a balm to my broken heart.
This book will help anyone who is experiencing something difficult that makes moving through the day hard and painful. It's published by a Christian publishing house, but any references to Christianity and God are limited and balanced out by references to scientific research on grief and other experts rooted in evidence-based fields. The author gracefully shares her own experience and feelings, including her battle with her faith, while making space for the reader to consider their own - whether it be with a higher power or nothing at all.
This book will be a gentle resource for anyone who has lost a child or loves someone who has lost a child. My love goes out to the Edwards and Vette family. Thank you Bri for writing this book. Rest in peace, Lachlan.
This book will help anyone who is experiencing something difficult that makes moving through the day hard and painful. It's published by a Christian publishing house, but any references to Christianity and God are limited and balanced out by references to scientific research on grief and other experts rooted in evidence-based fields. The author gracefully shares her own experience and feelings, including her battle with her faith, while making space for the reader to consider their own - whether it be with a higher power or nothing at all.
This book will be a gentle resource for anyone who has lost a child or loves someone who has lost a child. My love goes out to the Edwards and Vette family. Thank you Bri for writing this book. Rest in peace, Lachlan.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews