New Journeys Now Begin

Bereavement is a journey to be travelled, not an illness to be treated or a problem to be solved. When grief continues, bereaved people often feel they have failed, have been abandoned by others, or let down by God. As a result, their journey into the future is a hard one.

Author of A Need for Living Tom Gordon writes with sensitivity and clarity about real people as they begin to understand their journeys of bereavement. He draws on his experience as a parish minister and hospice chaplain and his extensive involvement with bereavement support, as well as offering honest insights from his own journey of discovery. The book helps us understand the unplanned and often frightening twists and turns grief forces the bereaved to face. In recognising the new and overwhelming feelings of anger and distress as normal, it gives carers important insights into the processes of loss. Through prayers and poetry it gives a voice to both anguish and hope. Above all, it offers companionship on the journey of bereavement to those who thought no one could ever understand their loss and grief.

Tom Gordon was Chaplain at the Marie Curie Centre, Edinburgh, at the time of writing this book.


Extracts from review in Coracle magazine

The moment you pick up Tom Gordon’s book and start to read it you realise that this book has been written by someone who knows what he is talking about. Tom is Chaplain at the Marie Curie Centre in Edinburgh and has many years of experience dealing with those affected by grief and loss … It is a book written from the heart, a book that is grounded, gritty and honest, a wonderful resource for those embarking on the painful journey of grief and loss.

Having worked in a hospice setting for many years I know how few books there are that one can offer those who are asking deep questions and expressing real doubts about faith and life. This is a book that I would want to give to those people. It is also a book that should not be confined only to hospices and palliative care centres: it will prove to be invaluable in a Church setting.

… This book is for real. It doesn’t talk around the deep issues of life and death, it takes us right into them … It has within its pages stories which are deeply emotional but it also has a lightness of touch and real humour. This is a book that l would have no hesitation in recommending. Thank you Tom for sharing your insights with us.

David Crouchley
Methodist Minister and formerly Hospice Chaplain