I should start this review by saying that I don't think this book is intended to be read cover to cover. Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems like one of those books you'd reach for when you're walking through a little loss and you'd read the chapter that correlated with what you were dealing with.

Because I was reading this for review, I was reading it all the way through and it proved to be very heavy. Each chapter deals with a different loss so it's chapter after chapter of loss. After a while, it was too much and I had to take a break. (There were other reasons I'll get to later.)

Let me explain why I requested this book in the first place. I personally have experienced the loss of dreams and other "small" things that this world might not notice or qualify as a loss. I was intrigued with the idea of a book that would give voice to these very real losses that go unnoticed by most people.

What I Liked
This is a beautifully written book. I appreciate that she is recognizing the losses that seem small to many but mean so much to the person walking through it. I loved the questions and the reminders at the end of each chapter that help you process the topic better and leave you with something positive. The chapter on friends gives voice to what no one ever seems to talk about and was one of my favorite chapters, as it's the loss I've experienced the most recently. I also really like the chapter on dreams. It's the first one where I saw some hope. (Hold that thought). She mentioned how marriage includes loss and grief and this is something I've thought about but never heard anyone speak about before.

What I Didn't Like
This is supposed to be a Christian book but I didn't see God until over halfway through. Through probably 3/4 or more of this book I didn't see hope. I felt like each chapter had a victim mindset and a defeated attitude. Like there is no healing, just realize the loss and that is life now. Some chapters even seemed angry.

I get that this is a very personal and experiential book. But I've read other books that deal with loss or hurt or other similar topics and those books constantly validate the very real pain but point to hope and healing in Christ. I was disappointed that those things didn't come until so late in the book, especially if people are going to pick up this book and just read one or two chapters related to whatever loss they are going through. (There was also a moment when it seemed like the author was working in other spiritual things, which is not okay for Christians to be doing. Maybe I took something in a way she didn't mean, but that's what it seemed like to me.)

Because of all of this, and how heavy it became, I put this book down for a while. There were lots of little things that I liked and saved, but on the whole, this was not the book I hoped it would be and not a book I feel that I can recommend to people. It's hard to leave a negative review on something that is so personal because I know that the author poured her heart out in this book. I applaud her courage and I am grateful to authors who do that. I am sure it has helped many and will help many more. But I would recommend Lysa TerKeurst or KJ Ramsey books if you are looking for books on grief and loss.

A book of poetry dealing with grief sounded intriguing, so I was immediately drawn to The Matter of Little Losses. However, I found it a little hard to follow. The book isn't bad, and I think it would probably be a good, helpful read for some. It just wasn't really what I was expecting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

The compilation of poetry and prose was effortlessly tied to together and created a moving part memoir part self-help, part anthology. This book intertwined different literary styles to create an evocative recount of grief, pain, loss and the little lights in life.

I'm not sure if this was something I would typically read or something that would jump out at me to read however, I found that it was an emotional experience to read this book. It was raw and very honest as the author used memoir and anecdotes from her life to create a relationship with the reader and provide them an insight into feelings of loss and grief.

I'm not sure if this would be something I would read again but it is definitely a book that leaves you feeling reflective and contemplative over your own life and experiences and how you feel yourself in similar situations. it leaves you to reflect on your own feelings and gauge what is important to you and what your little joys are.

This was a slow but truly beautiful read, and as I close the last page I find myself ready to return to the beginning again.

Rachel’s words create beautiful images and uncover and unravel so many emotions around grief. I found myself pouring out thoughts, memories, reflections and revelations into the pages of my journal as I slowly made my way through the chapters. It was a wonderful journey through grief, keeping God at the centre.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be buying a physical copy to add to my bookshelf.

The Matter of Little Losses
Finding Grace to Grieve the Big (and Small) Things
by Rachel Marie Kang
Pub Date 06 Feb 2024
Revell
Christian| Poetry


Revell and Netgalley are providing me with a copy of The Matter of Little Losses for review:


We live in a world full of love, but we also live in a world full of loss. It is similar to a paper cut to the heart, every loss--every loss of friendship, faith, dreams, health, community, and everything in between--grieves us more than we think it will, and often more than we admit. Why? Because they matter.


In Rachel Marie Kang's compassionate and deeply personal book, she invites you to see and be seen in the midst of your sorrow, your suffering--your story. Through prose and poetry that gives voice to all the things we lose along the way, this gracious book will help you This gracious book gives voice to all the things we lose along the way through its prose and poetry

· ponder your loss without judgmentConsider your loss without judgment
· remember what was and make meaning of your memoriesTaking time to remember what was and understanding what was meant to be
· reflect on what is yet to be as you heal with hopeAs you heal with hope, reflect on what is yet to come

There is no need to bury your pain, and you don't have to pretend you're over it just because the world thinks you should. Let Rachel walk hand in hand with you, giving you space for sorrow and welcoming you as you find your way to healing.


I give The Matter of Little Losses five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Part memoir, part self-help, part-poetry, part literary analysis, this book is a gold mine of information, and feelings. It was gripping as it grasped and shared an essence of life which is so difficult to capture, and beheld the truth through grief, pain, and loss but also through the small joys of life.

The writing style was absolutely gorgeous, and powerful in its hammering of simple words onto the soul. Not only did the concepts, memories, and feelings echoed through the author but their radiation transpired to the reader. The author engaging, and directly asking questions about the reader’s past experiences made the reading experience quite interactive, in my opinion.

Finally, I absolutely adored the references to literature, finding well-known and well-loved characters in the book. It is simply perfect to be able to hold them beyond fiction as helpful examples of people able of feeling magnified emotions.

Each chapter is centered on the theme of a particular flower. Woven among each essay (chapter) are personal stories, a quote from art/film/fiction, poems, italicized questions, 3-4 bolded statements, and one breath prayer per chapter. The questions, bolded statements, and prayer are then repeated at the end of the chapter in a "remember, reflect, respire" recap. I enjoyed reading some of Rachel's story, appreciated her honesty, and enjoyed the unique follow theme. I did struggle to understand how a book of "little losses" in the title, that emphasizes many times that little losses matter (and they absolutely do!), spent a large portion of the book covering themes like suicide, plagues, death, loss of place/home. I struggle to "categorize" these as "little", though I certainly appreciate Rachel writing about tender topics!

"The Matter of Little Losses" by Rachel Marie Kang combines prose and poetry to give voice to the often-overlooked aspects of loss – from profound life-altering events to the seemingly insignificant cuts that pierce the heart. Kang tackles the universal human experience of grief with sensitivity and validates all of the many ways loss and the grieving process can look along our life path. While reading, I appreciated how Kang encourages readers to remember and make meaning of our memories. She provides a space to ponder the significance of what was lost and to find peace in the process of healing through time.

Kang, a New York native of diverse heritage, brings a rich background to her exploration of loss. With a degree in English with Creative Writing, she infuses her writing with a depth of understanding and empathy. As the founder of The Fallow House, Kang has created a space for healing, and her work has been featured in esteemed publications such as Christianity Today, Ekstasis Magazine, Proverbs 31 Ministries, She Reads Truth, and (in)courage.

"The Matter of Little Losses" is a compassionate and affirming read for those in search of respite amid life's inevitable losses. This book is a testament to the healing power of acknowledging, reflecting, and embracing the losses that shape our stories. Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read!

I love this book. It was a great book to help one learn to set aside to time to grieve not only the big losses but the small loses as well as they all add up.

Sadly I just couldn't get into this book and the title made it seem promising. Maybe it's the way it was written but I didn't get much out of it.

The book had much more prose and poetry than I expected and it was hard for me to connect the prose and poetry with practical life applications. However if you enjoy prose and poetry you may really enjoy this book.

What an interesting read. The Matter of Little Losses at times beautifully explores the complex and multifaceted forms of grief found in the human experience and the poetry in particular really resonated deeply for me. While there are many, many strengths to this book after finishing it I’m not quite sure what to make and I really struggled to know how to rate it.

The poetry was really thought provoking, and I really wish there had been more of it. I felt that at times the prose was nowhere near as strong as the poems. I also wonder if the poems should have gone at the beginning of the chapters so that they could ruminate while you read the prose.

I didn’t really gel with using other books and films to capture moments of grief. While I can understand some of the reasoning for me it just didn’t feel like the right choice here. I especially struggled with how many works of fiction were used as jumping off points for exploring grief - I genuinely think real life examples and experiences would have been much more powerful.I also really wasn’t a fan of the questions at the end of each chapter - for me they really changed the tone of the book and truthfully gave me flashbacks to school textbooks!

Religion and faith becomes a much stronger theme as the book continues and I think truthfully this is where the book started to lose me. I think this could have been a stronger read if it had taken a broader perspective on faith.

Overall there are truly stunning elements to this book, from the poetry to using flowers and their meaning to help structure the read, to how broadly the book captures the range of experiences that can incur grief. For me I struggled with the prose and I found the later chapters very difficult to connect with though.

This book features some beautiful imagery depicting grief and loss with many references to other literature work. It portrays the harder side of human experiences perfectly and a lot of the poems resonated deeply with me.

✨The Matter of Little Losses: Finding Grace to Grieve the Big (and Small) Things by Rachel Marie Kang✨
“The promise of this book is not the removal of your pain but the possibility of the life that emerges in reverencing it. Flower by flower, Rach teaches a return to reverencing that which society has taught to shove away. In these pages, she offers herself to you as she has to me - as a witness to your wounds.” - Ramsey (foreword)
📚 About the Book…
This book explores grief and loss through the framework of flowers, literature, stanza and stories, poems, and visual art. Rachel equips us to be brave and face our fears, while also acknowledging that grief cannot be quantified… it is a part of our human experience. All have grieved, all have lost, but we are not without hope.
Genre: Christian Living
Publisher: @revellnonfiction
Release Date: February 2024
Major Themes: Grief, Loss, Trauma, Remembering, Home, Friendship, Innocence, Death and Faith
CW: Personal anecdotes of Vaccine Reaction, Seizures (detailed), Divorce, Death
My Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌷What I Loved…
This book undid me. For those who know me here, you know that my youngest daughter Marigold has suffered from prolonged and severe seizures. Rachel’s first chapter, in which she shares about her brothers seizures is entitled ‘Marigold for Grace’ 🥹😭 and I cannot describe how SEEN I felt.
💭It’s OKAY to mourn deferred dreams
🕯️ “We can light candles for the little losses - A Ritual” (actions to take)
Rachel unreservedly opens her heart and encourages us to do the same. “Stories are medicine”, and this book was a balm to my soul.
☀️This Book is for you If…
You are a human, because to be human is to grieve! But, it is especially for you if you are a lover of words, or need permission to feel and heal.
📖 Book Club Read?
I think this one would be excellent to read one-on-one with a friend or mentor.