Book on Grieving

"Dear Mom" by Dee Dee Raap.
It is actually a collection of letters that Dee Dee wrote to her mother at various times in her life after she suddenly passed away.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your dad.
On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is kind of a "classic."

And for your mom, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Death of a Loved O. by Brook Noel and Pamela D Blair

Was your dad receiving hospice care, by chance? If so, they usually provide some after care for the surviving spouse, which my mom found helpful. She attended some grief support groups after the death of her husband. The WORST advice she received? "Stay busy! You need to keep your mind off of it." The BEST advice she received? "Feel your feelings, look through photos, listen to the loved ones favorite music, cry, laugh and remember and FEEL everything about your loved O.."
This is what helped my mom. Best of luck to your family.

B., I'm so sorry for your loss. My dad passed away 4 years ago. Losing a parent is hard. One book I can recommend is "Good Grief". I read it over 20 years ago when I lost my baby girl. Philip Yancey also has a couple of good ones: "Disappointment with God" and "Where is God When It Hurts?". "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis is also excellent. There were also a couple books I read after Dad died that brought me peace. One was "Ninety Minutes in Heaven" and the other was "The Five People You Meet in Heaven".

I would second the advice of getting involved in a support group, not only for yourself but for your mom also. Grief is hard work, and it helps to have others walk alongside with you who understand. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

Sorry for your loss, I know how you are feeling, I lost my Dad in May... Although I don't have any books to help you with, I started to go to church every week, my mom goes to 2 different grief support groups, one with our church, one with the hospice we used. I know people say time heals all wounds, I don't know if this a wound that will ever heal. My daughter helps me very much, as an innocent 4 year just telling stories of my Dad (her PopPop), can make the most sad day, a good one! I try to go to the cemetery and talk to him, my Dad and I were very close! I miss him dearly, and theres not an hour every day I don't think of him! I am sorry I was not able to help you on a book, I did read 'Heaven is For Real', it didn't help my grieving, but it put some things in perspective! Hugs and prayers to you, you aren't alone!! :-)

I'm so sorry for your loss. My dad passed away 7 years ago and It was so hard.

I read Surviving the loss of your parent and thought it was helpful. There were a couple of other ones that I liked but the names escape me - I'll look for them when I get home.

Also, I went to a grief support group that was a free service offered through my local hospice. You might want to check with one to see if there is anything in Minneapolis.

Another resource is the Center for Grief, Loss, and Transition it is on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. Check their website for resources they suggest. They also may have free or low cost group therapy sessions. It is nice to talk it out and have some guidance as to how to really say goodbye. I will say when they first told me I had to write a letter and say goodbye, I thought they were nuts. I couldn't say goodbye.. it was so final. But eventually, in my own time it was something I could do.

Anyway, again, I am sorry for your loss.

I found Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking" helpful. It is about the death of her husband, but the emotions would apply to a parent.

I lost my son last summer and I have heard great things about "heaven is real" Right now I can't concentrate enough to actually read a book but plan on reading it when I think I can. I do go to a grieving mother's group on Facebook and I know she has also started grieving Father's, grieving spouses, and grieving children groups. This I find is very healing as it gives you people who are in the same situation as you are but in different stages of grief. Some have been going through it for years, others just days. I find I can help those who are new to the grief and I can learn from those who have gone through it longer then I have so I know what to expect and what is normal even though it makes you feel like you are going crazy.

My prayers go out to you and your mom, I am so sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss. I don't have a book recommendation either. My father died 20 years ago. I was advised to go to grief counseling but I never did. I really wish I had. I was young when he died and I think I would have made better life choices if I had gone to grief counseling and learned how to deal with my loss. I say this to tell you to seek grief counseling or a support group. I believe this will really help you especially with the holidays so close by. You will never forget but you will learn how to live with his not being there. Good luck to you and your family.

My mom passed away 5 yrs ago in October. it happened fast and noone saw it coming. After she passed, one of my aunt's gave me a book, "Surving Grief" but don't know the author. Have to be honest with you, the book went through the stages of grief and other people's stories on those that they have lost, but did not really help me grieve over my mom. I think every person has different relationships with everyone in their lives, no two are ever the same, so i can't say I know what you are going through because this is a journey that while other's stories can help you feel comfort, is yours in it's own unique way. there are days where I still feel very lost without my mom, have had 2 kids since she has passed and that is one of the lingering things that really bother me is my kids will only know her through what myself and others tell them. I think the best thing for yourself is to just remember to take one day at a time, some days will be great and some days will not be. But we are still here, living! And I'm sure your dad would still want you to live your life to the fullest. In helping your mom, all I can say about that, is just be there for her. Even if the both of you are just crying together, as long as you're together I think it helps. We have done things differently since my mom passed with certain traditions and holidays and things like that and that has helped us work through things. When my grandma passed away, it was close to Christmas and her children decided to still do Christmas by her house, same decorations, same food, same everything. I couldn't do it, was too hard for me, but for them was their way of dealing with it. Everyone is different, so just give it time. As ridiculous as it sounds and with how much it bothered me when people would tell me this right after my mom passed, time will heal. Sorry about your loss and best wishes to you and your family for a very happy and full life ahead!

I am so sorry your family is going through this. I lost my dad several years ago to a horrible fight with Leukemia, when I was about 22. I was the sole support for my mom. It's hard being an older child of a lost parent,. because few people think of you as having lost someone, all the emphasis is on the widow. I almost had my mom hospitalized. It was truly terrifying seeing her spiral out of control and I had to thwart many suicide attempts and scary ordeals since she was not coping well. I convinced her to speak to her Dr about these issues (he knew our family well), but she lied to him about the extent of things, so I called and gave more information. She was finally medicated and received grief counseling.... but I had to force her to go. It's been almost 10 years now and she still misses my dad, hasn't gone on a single date, but she is finally happy and leveled out. It takes some people longer than others. It took her about 2 1/2 years to lose mellow out.

As for books, I looked online to be able to gauge the grieving process with my mom. The funeral home gave us some really great little pamphlets as well. I never went through a grieving process, as all my energy was keeping my mom alive.

One thing that has helped both my mother and me, is our faith that our family will be together again, and that we can rely on the Lord for comfort and peace. I truly believe God has a plan of happiness for each of us. This is the only reason I was able to cope with my father's death, and my mother's crazy. It is the one thing that brings me comfort in my family, knowing that whatever may happen here on earth, it isn't the end for us.

http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/
The part about death is a little ways down the page.