How can we learn to live with the hard fact of death? Some may find strength in religious faith, but growing numbers of us are not religious. When grieving or grappling with the prospect of our own end, how can we find solace?
These questions led award-winning writer and atheist Valerie Jack on a quest to meet non-religious people facing loss and illness. In Living with Death without God you will hear their stories - which beautifully illuminate how, even in the most difficult circumstances, we can find comfort, hope and meaning.
If you are asking yourself how best to live, given the fact of death, if you're looking for companionship as you travel your road, then welcome - these stories are for you.
'For those of us with a naturalistic approach to life, death is a full stop. The stories and reflections in this wonderful book help deal with that fact with a thoughtfulness, warmth and breadth that should give comfort and meaning to all.' Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK
'Montaigne taught us that if we refuse to be cowed by the inevitability of death, we become free to live life to the full. In Living with Death without God, Valerie Jack has woven a vivid tapestry from the stories of many brave people who learned to do just that. Grief can of course be hard to bear, even overwhelming, whether the bereaved be religious or not. But reminding us throughout these sensitively and compassionately written pieces that we all leave behind our own legacy, in many different ways, helps to shine light in dark corners - especially for those who see life's end as a destination, rather than a mere staging post to somewhere else.' Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision
'This is an essential contribution to the discourse on life, death and grief. As a transpersonal psychotherapist this deeply resonated with my own experience, both personally and professionally - that living a life with a sense of meaning and purpose is not dependent on faith in some external being, but more about connecting to the universality in us all.' Annie Broadbent, author of Speaking of Death
'We are all unique beings and as we face our own death, we need to know we will be remembered but also to remember we will eventually be forgotten. This book helps us make sense of that truth for ourselves and our loved ones. I highly recommend this book for anyone at any stage of life, there is much to enrich and support our wider life journey towards our death.' Katrina Taee, author of Surviving the Tsunami of Grief
'For most people, death is unthinkable-so they simply don't think about it. Great visions of the next world have been created to avoid doing what Valerie Jack has done here: looking squarely at the idea that our existence truly ends through the eyes of human beings who accept that most difficult fact. As you close the cover on the last story, you'll feel as though you've met humanity at its most vulnerable and honest. A moving and important contribution.' Dale McGowan, author of Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers
