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DALLAS, Oct. 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- There is nothing more devastating than the death of a loved one. And whether it comes suddenly and unexpectedly, or at the end of a long and painful illness, every death is experienced anew, a shocking loss that takes your breath away and leaves you disoriented and lost.

Grief is mysterious, misunderstood, and experienced differently from individual to individual. Yet there are certain universal elements to the grieving process. In When You Lose Someone You Love: Comfort for Those Who Grieve (David C Cook, October 2009), author Richard Exley offers a compassionate handbook on grief. The book is written as a series of letters between a pastor and a parishioner he seeks to comfort. As he offers understanding to a man suffering a profound loss, the pastor shows that grief is a healthy process that God can use to mend broken hearts.

When we lose someone we love, we are often overwhelmed by the strong emotions and confusion that come like tidal waves in our lives. Sometimes we hardly recognize ourselves or the world in which we live. Exley's personal and empathetic epistle communicates the mercy and grace of the heavenly Father to grieving people.

"I have chosen the 'letter style' because it affords me the opportunity to speak to you directly and in a very personal manner," Exley says. "This is not a book about grief; rather, it is comfort extended to those who are even now walking through the valley of the shadow of death."

This book is the perfect gift for anyone suffering a profound loss. It has been endorsed by many a reader who, having drawn great comfort from its pages, has passed it along to a grief-stricken friend or loved one. Pastors and ministries that regularly interact with grieving people should keep multiple copies of When You Lose Someone You Love on hand.

Revised and updated, this twentieth anniversary edition features prayers and scripture meditation, as well as a new introduction and epilogue. Simple, profound, personal, compassionate ... When You Lose Someone You Love tenderly walks the grief-stricken through sorrow to peace and, eventually, renewed joy.

www.davidccook.com