I apparently I come from a completely different world view than the author. I didn’t really enjoy this book at all. However I do know people who would think it’s great or helpful.

"Any great loss will lead you to the gateway of transformation." Kristine Carlson.

Grief, while a universal theme, is a unique journey for each person that travels its path. In her book "From Heartbreak to Wholeness", Kristine Carlson takes the reader on a discovery that allows them to flesh out their own story. It continually asks the question, "Are you a victim, or are you a hero?"

Each of the nine chapters, symbolic of the nine months of gestation, ends with a soul mantra and journaling questions, allowing the reader to engage with the material that they have just read, before moving onto the next topic. The reader looks at who they were before, what their crisis event was, and how life has changed since. Carlson walks the reader through topics such as fear, mindfulness and new beginnings.

Having entered into several great "crisis events" that lead to great grief and trauma over the past several years, this book was both timely and helpful in ways I could not have imagined when I first began reading. I read through twice, first just to read and absorb the material, then again to work through all the exercises. I am not the same person I was before this book came into my life.

"From Heartbreak to Wholeness" is a practical and lovely book that is sad without being depressing. It's an honest look at grief and recovery, helping the reader obtain a new foundation after an old one crumbled. Highly recommended for anyone trying to come back from heartache or tragedy.

This is a beautiful book that will guide you from despair and pain to wholeness and a fulfilling life. It is filled with exercises and advice to help you overcome heartbreak.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Early in this excellent book, Carlson states "You aren't the same for having loved and lived, and you won't be the same as you walk through the doorway of awakening that loss provides." With that positive declaration, she continues to discuss her approach to grief, through her own horrific journey to that of others, drawing from them the wisdom, the insights, the encouragement to assure the reader and keep company on their own journey. She states "...this is a book designed to let you choose to be the hero of your story, and it's going to teach you how to frame your story in a way that reveals who you are." Carlson delivers on that and so much more in this profound guide to grief, loving and living as a fully-realized human being. Her promises are huge -- and she delivers. Her reliance on Joseph Campbells' work on the hero's journey and Maureen Murdoch's work on the heroine's journey enriched, enlightened and delighted. A valuable and enjoyable book!

I have long been a fan of the Don't Sweat series of books written by Richard Carlson, some of which were co-authored by his wife Kristine. Richard was the main speaker at a women's conference I attended just a few years before his sudden passing. Two of my friends were also widowed in their 40s, so I was anxious to read this newest book by Kristine Carlson to learn how she had coped. The book not only deals with the loss of a spouse, but also other losses such a health crisis or loss of a career. I appreciated the way Kris presented both the good and bad aspects of her personal story. There is a lot of information to digest, so I am sure that I would benefit from a second, slower reading. Some of the methods she incorporates seemed rather New Age to me, which may not appeal to all readers.

I think this is a wonderful book that would be good for anyone going through a loss. I wish I had this sort of book when I went through hard times.