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A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss Paperback – July 21, 2020

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 96 ratings

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Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award

"Eva not breathing. Pray."

That text message was Mel Lawrenz's entry into the harsh reality of losing his thirty-year-old daughter. Things would never be the same. How could he and his family cope with this devastating loss?

In this narrative of grief, Pastor Mel Lawrenz chronicles how his family struggled to survive the sudden death of their beloved daughter. In raw, vivid episodes, he describes the immediacy of the pain and the uncertainty of what comes next. In the agony of traumatic loss, Lawrenz apprehends the realities of love and life and offers insights on how to navigate our life priorities before or after tragedy hits.

You are not alone. You too can find a way forward.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mel Lawrenz has, by some alchemy of grace and daring, taken the harrowing pain of losing his beloved daughter and turned it into healing balm. A Chronicle of Grief deserves to stand alongside C. S. Lewis's A Grief Observed, Gerald Sittser's A Grace Disguised, and Nicholas Wolterstorff's Lament for a Son as an experience of rawest sorrow transmuted into a testament of deepest hope. Profoundly moving and profoundly life giving." -- Mark Buchanan, author of David: Rise and God Speed: Walking as a Spiritual Practice

"Mel Lawrenz has written lucidly and beautifully about the death of his beloved adult daughter. His transparent description of the overwhelming grief he experienced and the solace he found in the Lord and the community of faith is moving, instructive, and most helpful. Highly recommended." -- Jill Briscoe, founding editor of Just Between Us, teacher on Telling the Truth

"This book is difficult to read―as any honest book about death and grief must be. But it is rich and indispensable to any on this hard journey or walking with another who is. Here we witness a father's crushed heart desperately reaching for grace and truth. It is a story told with searing honesty, genuine doubt, and sustaining faith. Mel is the guide we need for the journey we do not want." -- Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief

"When the unthinkable happens to those you love most, you cope, you drag your legs out of bed in the morning, you walk as in a stupor, you move one foot in front of the other, and you limp like Jacob. The limp never goes away. This book is about the horrific, tragic death of Eva, the author's daughter, and the book is painful to read. Mel and Ingrid will limp until they die, but their limping is somehow a grace of memory that painfully reminds them of Eva. In their limping they remember Eva, they talk to Eva, they talk about Eva, they wonder and they wander, they see Eva and places she liked and they liked together. But every step, no matter how painful, is a limp with her at their side. Mel Lawrenz has been a friend for years, but I entered into his inner world in this book. Many of us are limping with Mel. At times I had to put this book down, but along the way I acquired a limp." -- Scot McKnight, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary

"Within the pages of A Chronicle of Grief, Mel Lawrenz bares his heart broken with grief, yet his story is sprinkled with hope. As I write we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is ripping so many from the arms of their loved ones. When he wrote this book, the author would have had no inkling of what was to come. So much death . . . so much loss . . . so much trauma . . . so much grief . . . for so many individuals and families. A Chronicle of Grief could not be more timely." -- Heather Davediuk Gingrich, professor of counseling at Denver Seminary, author of Restoring the Shattered Self

Review

"Within the pages of A Chronicle of Grief, Mel Lawrenz bares his heart broken with grief, yet his story is sprinkled with hope. As I write we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is ripping so many from the arms of their loved ones. When he wrote this book, the author would have had no inkling of what was to come. So much death . . . so much loss . . . so much trauma . . . so much grief . . . for so many individuals and families. A Chronicle of Grief could not be more timely."

-- Heather Davediuk Gingrich, professor of counseling at Denver Seminary, author of Restoring the Shattered Self

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP (July 21, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0830837604
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0830837601
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.6 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 96 ratings

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Mel Lawrenz
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Mel Lawrenz trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He has a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought (Marquette University) and has been on the adjunct faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Trinity International University. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large, teaching in North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He has authored 18 books with Zondervan, Baker, Jossey-Bass, Leadership Network, Regal, and others.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
96 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and hopeful. They describe it as authentic, truthful, and realistic. The writing style is eloquent and easy to read, with amazing verbiage throughout that helps guide people through difficult times.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

15 customers mention "Insight"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and helpful. They say it offers great ideas and advice, and is a potentially life-changing treasure. The author teaches how to balance joy and grief with encouragement and hard-won wisdom.

"...It is raw and real and at times hard to read, but it is also full of insight and hope...." Read more

"...occur after a traumatic loss and how to deal with it, physically, spiritually, and mentally. The addition of scriptures gives hope to the reader...." Read more

"...Mel Lawrenz’s deeply honest sharing of his personal experiences with traumatic losses is a gift to all of us, and should be readily available in..." Read more

"...This book spoke to my heart. I could feel Mel’s emotions as I relived mine while reading this narrative...." Read more

6 customers mention "Authenticity"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's authenticity. They find it truthful, raw, and realistic, with honest questions and realistic answers.

"This book is extraordinary. It is raw and real and at times hard to read, but it is also full of insight and hope...." Read more

"...Authentic, truthful, and overflowing with hope." Read more

"...mother who lost her son to suicide two years ago, I felt this book was honest, insightful and consistent with the best grief counseling available...." Read more

"Beautifully written. No platitudes, just hard-won wisdom and truth. It gives hope to those grieving, and help for those walking alongside them." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing style"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing style. They find it easy to read and potentially life-changing. The verbiage throughout the book helps guide readers through difficult times. Readers mention it's an excellent but challenging read.

"...The addition of scriptures gives hope to the reader. It is written with great love for his precious daughter, but anyone who has suffered a loss..." Read more

"...It’s beautifully written, and it left me feeling hopeful and grateful for the advice that all of us will need at some point in our lives." Read more

"...Some incredible verbiage given throughout the book to help walk with people in their darkest days." Read more

"...That would be all of us. Beautifully and eloquently written, this is a book to get and a book to give." Read more

Like having a friend beside you who has recently walked the grief journey
5 out of 5 stars
Like having a friend beside you who has recently walked the grief journey
This book is like having a friend who has recently walked through their own grief journey sitting alongside you in your most bewildering moments, saying the things out loud you are feeling but afraid to speak. He helps you through the “what if?” and “why God?” questions that plague the grieving, as well as seemingly holds your hand as you walk through your darkest days. Without an instructive voice, he teaches how to balance the joy your loved one is experiencing with Christ without diminishing the grief you’re experiencing here. A must-have book as one walks this path we all will walk one day. I may even keep a copy with my will for those I leave behind.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2020
    This book is extraordinary. It is raw and real and at times hard to read, but it is also full of insight and hope. I've heard much smarter people than me say this book surpasses C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed." If you know anyone suffering a terrible loss please give this book to them. I have given away multiple copies already and because of what the author has experienced, through this book he walks alongside and understands those suffering a deep loss. Those I gave the book to were deeply comforted. This book is not theory or teaching from someone who has not lived that about which he writes.. It's also a small book with short chapters which is good for those in deep grief. Anyone will benefit from this book--those in grief, those who help those in grief (counselors, therapists), and those who just want to learn how help someone they love who is grieving (that was me--I have learned so much by reading this book and am deeply grateful that the author was willing to share his painful journey.)
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
    I read the book before I gifted it to my friend who lost her husband after a long illness. As a widow myself, I had read and benefited from Mel Lawrenz's first book, Life After Grief. His new book is a shorter read and does a very good job describing many of the feelings that occur after a traumatic loss and how to deal with it, physically, spiritually, and mentally. The addition of scriptures gives hope to the reader. It is written with great love for his precious daughter, but anyone who has suffered a loss in life will benefit from his thoughtful and heartfelt words. As a reader, I could feel his pain. Clearly Eva was a beautiful human being.
    I was so happy to read Appendix 1 and 2 included at the end of this new book from Life After Grief.
    I would recommend this book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020
    Google, Alexa and Wikipedia can offer answers to millions of questions. But I don’t know if any other resource in the world that provides such valuable information regarding both healing from a heartbreak of any cause, or supporting others who are suffering. Mel Lawrenz’s deeply honest sharing of his personal experiences with traumatic losses is a gift to all of us, and should be readily available in every home, along with a few copies to have on hand for others who will no doubt need support at some time in their lives. I believe our neighborhoods and communities would be better places if we all spent time with this easy to read and potentially life changing treasure. It’s beautifully written, and it left me feeling hopeful and grateful for the advice that all of us will need at some point in our lives.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023
    This book is not like others I’ve read on grief. It describes the author’s journey after losing his daughter. My husband passed away but this was the best book I’d read. Very applicable to loss
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020
    I have gone through many losses. My parents, my husband , my youngest brother, two dear friends, and just last year my boyfriend of 7 years, whom I started dating 16 years after my husband’s death. This book spoke to my heart. I could feel Mel’s emotions as I relived mine while reading this narrative. Mel’s transparency and vulnerability reached my soul. I came away from this chronicle of grief with renewed hope and encouragement. I’ve read a lot of books on grief over the years, but I would rate this one at the top. Authentic, truthful, and overflowing with hope.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2022
    Raw and breathtaking journey through deep grief. Some incredible verbiage given throughout the book to help walk with people in their darkest days.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2022
    I have gone through several trauma dead's, this book was insightful, giving many great ideas and advise. Many I have already used or past on to other going through a trauma dead. I would recommend this book to counselors, pastors, and a person going through trauma grief.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023
    I have read many grief books after my son passed away suddenly. This one is good in many ways, but I was disappointed in the lack of reference and dependence on God and scripture. I have only made it through this time with God’s strength and comfort holding me. I felt like this book lacked that aspect. Shortly after this book, I found Tim Challies’ book ‘Seasons of Sorrow’ and have recommended it and bought it for many people. It is wonderful and full of biblical truths.
    One person found this helpful
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