What Was Lost: A Christian Journey through Miscarriage
"What Was Lost is practical, informative, and spiritually wise, tackling the big questions of the spiritual life...Given how common miscarriage is...everyone should read this stirring book."Lauren Winner--barrett.wkjbooks.comWith the sensitivity of a caring pastor, [Barrett]...offers helpful reflection...to aid the reader's journey from hurt to healing and hope."--Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Professor of Worship, Boston University--barrett.wjkbooks.com"Although one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, spiritual resources for those who miscarry are shockingly hard to find. Barrett, a United Methodist pastor who has herself had a miscarriage, has written a useful book to fill the void she, and so many others, discover when miscarriage claims their unborn children and their expectations. Barrett shares not only her own story but also the comments of other mothers-to-be who have experienced grief and loss. The author brings uniquely Christian pastoral and theological perspectives that will help not only mothers but also spouses/partners, clergy, and friends. Christian clergy will find especially useful a chapter of resources, but everyone touched by miscarriage can learn from this reflective book. Mothers can take comfort that they are hardly alone and that God is not cruel; others can learn to replace the well-intentioned but too frequently painful bromides of consolation with more sensitive balm." --Publishers Weekly, July 12, 2010"In writingWhat Was Lost, Elise Barrett [is] electing not only to claim her grief, but also to record it without self-indulgence and with the kind of grace that, in the hands of the skilled writer, turns personal narrative into communal solace." Phyllis Tickle, from the foreword"Barrett's book is a great gift to those of us who must minister in time of loss." Will Willimon, author and Bishop, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church