Heaven & Beyond: Conversations with Souls in Transition
The sister duo of Barbara Mark and Trudy Griswold claim to have found a way to speak with angels directly, which was the focus of their popular first book,Angelspeake.  This time, when the angels spoke, they told the sisters to write a book about the "transition from life to death." And the angels even offered the sisters a  organizational schema forHeaven & Beyond: Conversations with Souls in Transition, starting with a focus on "Caregiver" and then moving onto "The Dying One." The closing chapters discuss "The Other Side" (how to recognize a loved one's presence after death), "The Connection" (communicating with loved ones), and finally, "The Angel's Viewpoint" (a lesson on eternal life). Some of the authors' suggestions are just plain common sense: "Respect the privacy of a dying person." In other cases, the authors enter more mystical realms, explaining how to invite conversations with the deceased. Other sections are downright pragmatic: how to recognize the signs of caregiver burnout, or advice on composing a living will. Whether it's the angels or the authors speaking (the sisters claim it's a combination), this is a helpful guidebook for those grappling with the recent or imminent death of a loved one.--Gail Hudson