Good books on grieving after death of a friend?

[CathyA]

Some of you might remember that my daughter lost a friend last Fall, when he fell off a roof, while watching the city lights. Its been really, really hard on her. She's been in touch with the boy's father, as it seems to comfort the father. But it really keeps her own emotional wounds open.
I want to send her a couple really good books on grieving. I see some on Amazon that look good, but I thought I'd ask here first.
She is an agnostic, so I would prefer books that didn't have a religious point of view.
Anyone have any favorites that you found especially helpful? Thanks.

[earthshepherd]

Well, this may not be helpful since it is a book written for a professional minister audience, but it's not really a "religious" point of view. All Our Losses, All Our Griefs, by co-authors Anderson & Mitchell, is a very helpful study on the dynamics of grief. It's written for counselors, but the first two parts are pure psychology. That said, far from being a "bell jar" description of grief, the study deals very compassionately with the grief experience, and the way our "big" griefs relate to other "lesser" losses; for example, when we cry more over the death of the family dog than a human being, and wonder what that's all about. If she needs mostly comfort, another book might be better. But if your DD is the kind of person who likes a lens through which to see things in an intellectual perspective, this study might help her organize her experiences of grief and see how they weave into the whole of her life, in tandem with other books that deal more with the emotional journey.

[CathyA]

Thanks Ellen, I'll take a look at that. It sounds like something that would be useful to her.

[redfox]

I like When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

[nswef]

A book I have found helpful through the years is How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese A. Rando, Ph.D. It was recommended to me when I was in counseling and it helped. There are several different sections that make it useful for all kinds of deaths.