SUN CITY, Calif., November 19, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- "Most of us are unprepared for the death of a loved one ... grief is a foreign country...," writes author James McGee. In his new book, A Journey Through Grief: Notes From a Foreign Country (now available through 1stBooks), he uses his experiences after his wife's death to help both religious believers and nonbelievers deal with grief.
As a nonbeliever, the author was disappointed to find that the majority of books on the subject were premised on faith in God and in an afterlife. McGee provides lessons for everyone with his book. He offers an uplifting message to nonbelievers without referring to a spiritual realm, writing that these readers can get through the pain and grief "without converting to a belief in the supernatural." To Christians he offers a message of hope. "This is no time to walk away from your religion..." he notes.
In the book's epilogue, McGee notes that feelings of grief are part of being human. He also notes 14 other important lessons about grief. Along with helpful tips, he includes stories of love and humor taken from his own marriage, which spanned four decades. He steers readers toward healing with personal anecdotes and both happy and poignant memories.
"(The book) can be read by those currently grieving, and by those who know that one day, they, too, will be making the journey and thus seek some idea of what to expect. It can also be read by those who have already made their own "journey through grief" to help them understand the extent of their recovery," he writes.
A Journey Through Grief is not only a roadmap for the stages of grief, but also a chronicle of one man's healing path to hope and bittersweet acceptance.
A UCLA and Harvard University School of Business graduate, McGee is a current resident of Sun City, Calif. He is a Vietnam veteran and a former U.S. Foreign Service officer. He has had a successful career, which includes serving as the youngest divisional general manager of a Fortune 60 company, becoming president of an industrial products company, patenting a product and owning his own company.
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