I liked the way the author categorized the stages of grief and the way it was an interactive book with suggested activities to focus on.

The formatting of this book made it one that wasn’t unbearable to comprehend or too dull to force myself through. Using real therapy settings and sessions as the scenes and then making suggestions for my life based on the “character’s” issues were very helpful.

Remember, It's Ok: Loss of a Parent
By Marina L Reed, Marlyn Grace Boyd
Published by: Blue Moon Publishers,
New Chaper Press
Publish Date: 05 May 2020

This book is a positive, uplifting, helpful book for when you lose a parent. It helps you understand grief and that people all grieve their own way. Losing a parent is a very huge loss in a person's life, whether that parent was very close or not. This book helps people understand and deal better with that in mind.

I like that the book gives examples in the way of a counseling visit format. The person grieving talks about their situation and how they are feeling. Then the therapist gives suggestions to help them deal with their situation and/or feelings and adds something they can try or work on that might also help.

The layout of this book was thoughtful. It was color coded by the way a person might be feeling at the time, and what stage of grief they are in. I thought the color coding was great because sometimes people flip back and forth in their stages of grief, so they can just go to the color for which stage they are in at the time for help. There is also a section for writing in your own notes, memories, or adding photographs. Basically a journaling section to help you through your grief.

My favorite thing about this book is they gave good examples of ways to build upon the good memories people have of their parent. (i.e. mom and daughter had always put together a favorite recipes box and for a while it was hard to look at it because it brought back fond memories and made her sad. But, then someone suggested she should start cooking the recipes and even sharing the food at gatherings to bring back all the good memories. She did and even had other family pitch in and it turned into a happy good thing for her and others to remember mom.)

Overall, this is a very good book to help with the difficult grief in the loss of a parent. It does help you to know, it will take time, but to remember, it's OK.


I would like to thank the publishers and the authors for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I read this book as a professional working with grieving people and an educator but also as one who has lost their parent. The format of this book took a colour approach from red to pale blue indicating acute and less acute feelings of grief. It is a book of patient stories that are long and in detail, with a therapist/counsellor response of listening, affirmation and value on the grief state and some problem-solving brief interventions. It is obvious this is not seen as a substitute for therapy but a book where readers can identify with others in the same position and feel less isolated in their grief.

Sometimes I found the stories rather detailed and over-lengthy but overall, I liked being able to track some of the stories moving through the different colours of intensity. I think this is a text that will help some people grieving the loss of their parent.