Will I love The Wild Edge of Sorrow?

I was raised by a family and culture that taught me nothing about grief, mourning, or honoring the great heartbreaks of aliveness. This book raised me and taught me about the importance of ritual and community tending to our grief.

It taught me that naming the pain of the world is an act of love and that helping others do the same is a responsibility we all carry. I trained with Francis Weller years after reading this book and was so affirmed by sharing space with a person who embodies what he teaches in a deep and embodied way. 

I carried this book with me everywhere in the months following my father’s death. It is filled with wisdom and tenderness. This book gave me new language to help explain some of what I was going through, as well as introduce me to some actions/rituals I could try to help heal my hurting heart as I missed my dad. It is a beautiful book.

I love this book because it has so many wonderful rituals to support grief tending. As Francis Weller trained with Malidoma and Sobonfu Somé, who I am deeply influenced by, reading this book feels like another transmission from these elders.

The language is poetic and soothing. This book was a dear companion to me on my journey with grief.