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The No. 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling Canon Clement Series

‘Immensely moving and disarmingly witty’ Nigella Lawson

‘Such a moving, tough, funny, raw, honest read’ Matt Haig

‘Beautifully written, moving and gut-wrenching, but also at times very funny’ Ian Rankin

‘Captures brilliantly, beautifully, bravely the comedy as well as the tragedy of bereavement’ The Times

‘Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved’ Independent

When the Reverend Richard Coles’ partner died suddenly, shortly before Christmas in 2019, what came next took Richard by surprise. Despite his years of experience assisting his parishioners in examining life’s moral questions, Richard now found he needed guidance himself. Much about grief was unexpected: the volume of ‘sadmin’ that must be undertaken, how much harder it is travelling solo for work, the pain of typing a text message to your partner – then remembering they are gone. This deeply personal account of life after grief will resonate, unforgettably, long after the final page has been turned.

‘Astonishingly brave’ Dr Rachel Clark

‘Brief, wise, frank’ Daily Telegraph

‘Moving and candid’ i Newspaper

‘Massively comforting’ Dawn French

‘Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved’ Independent

‘Has an immediacy that is not born of long reflection and it is all the better for it’ Financial Times

‘An honest book, and a brave one’ Oldie

Publisher Review

Beautiful, honest and massively comforting -- DAWN FRENCH Immensely moving and disarmingly witty -- NIGELLA LAWSON Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved . . . shines with the sort of wry, self-analytical wisdom you might expect from Coles. Full of resonating reflections, ones that urge us all to be kinder, to love more strongly * INDEPENDENT * Such a moving, tough, funny, raw, honest read. The beautiful articulation of Richard's grief will be a comfort to so many -- MATT HAIG Captures brilliantly, beautifully, bravely the comedy as well as the tragedy of bereavement . . . simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, painful and strangely comforting as it confronts the reality of what happens to us all in the end * THE TIMES * Beautifully written, moving and gut-wrenching, but also at times very funny, each smile and laugh a candle in the dark -- IAN RANKIN An astonishingly brave, bold and honest book about the tragedy - and unexpected comedy - of bereavement. Such a harrowing, hopeful and comforting book. If I could prescribe Richard Coles, I'd administer him stat to us all * Dr Rachel Clarke, author of DEAR LIFE * This is not a self-help book on how to cope with death and loss, it is an honest, raw and personal account of a man's descent into the Madness of Grief. Richard provides a frank account of the trials and tribulations he endured during the weeks between the death and the funeral of the man he loved. Funny, sad, touching and thought provoking, it reminds us that grief has no normality, no time limit and most importantly, no rules -- PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS Bold, intimate writing . . . THE MADNESS OF GRIEF is not a manual for the bereaved, but as a vivid account of how it feels when the world suddenly falls away, it performs another kind of service * THE SUNDAY TIMES * Deeply moving . . . has an immediacy that is not born of long reflection and it is all the better for it * FINANCIAL TIMES * Heartbreakingly sad and searingly honest . . . For those who find themselves bereaved, this book is sure to help * DAILY MIRROR * You don't need to be religious to find comfort in this book. Anybody who has experienced a similar complex grief will relate to many of Coles's anecdotes -- Helen Brown * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH * In this memoir, Coles shares his truth, stays kind, and, when possible, brings a smile . . . By reflecting the hurts of others' losses with such beauty and integrity, he confirms that it is his open humanity that is priestly. It gives me yet another reason to admire him * CHURCH TIMES * An honest book, and a brave one * THE OLDIE * Moving and candid, this book will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one, or has had to cope with someone they love whom they just cannot help * I NEWSPAPER * Although not a self-help book, the homilies, experience and catharsis within creates invaluable solace. It will resonate for the myriad struggling with grief wrought by the pandemic * THE QUIETUS * Beautifully written, raw and deeply personal . . . A revealing and often funny insight into love and loss * ATTITUDE * This brief, wise, frank book deals with the surreal mundanity of bereavement * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, Books of the Summer * His reading is pitch-perfect . . . creating an aural kaleidoscope. It is, at heart, a meditation on the nature of loss and one that is as strangely comforting as it is wrenching and painful -- Alex Clark * FINANCIAL TIMES, Audio Books review round up * A WORTHY heir to C. S. Lewis's 'A Grief Observed'... To be in Coles's company is always uplifting, even when he's writing about unbearable sadness and loss. -- Ysenda Maxtone-Graham * DAILY MAIL, Best Books of 2021 *