After This

When Life Is Over, Where Do We Go?

By: Claire Bidwell Smith

Narrated by: Claire Bidwell Smith

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

Claire Bidwell Smith follows The Rules of Inheritance with After This - an exploration of the afterlife that is part personal and part prescriptive, an invitation on a journey into the unknown.

In her therapy practice specializing in grief, Smith confronts the quandary of what happens next. In a dynamic five-part structure, she answers the unanswerable questions - will I ever see my parents again? Can my parents see me now, even though they are gone? Will I remain connected to my own daughters when I die? - for herself and for all of us. Chronicling our steps along the path that bridges this world and the next, she undergoes past-life regressions and sessions with mediums and psychics and immerses herself in the ceremonies of organized religion and the rigors of scientific experimentation.

After This is unique in the power of the personal that underlies the audiobook's message: What we believe about what happens next affects everything about how we live - and love - right now.

©2015 Claire Bidwell Smith (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Healing, awe inspiring, riveting, LOVED IT!

Where does After This rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 2 or 3

What other book might you compare After This to and why?

It's a Wonderful Afterlife by Richard Martini

Have you listened to any of Claire Bidwell Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

After this... love

Any additional comments?

The emotional impact of this book soaked deep into my being. I have suffered multiple losses in my life and have sought out some of the same experiences as Clair (I took the same workshop on death and dying with David and Nan as just one example). Her experiences, and the realizations she expresses, were very reaffirming to some I have had. In other ways I imagine she has gone far beyond what many of us will in this lifetime. Being a former scientist and now an adjunct college instructor, I also greatly appreciated her critical eye and "I need real proof" manner of engaging with the parties that claim to have abilities most of us don't with respect to these non-material communications. Her ability to weave all her material into the story she shares is masterful and inspired. I honestly found myself thinking that it was such a masterpiece, and could help so many others, that she might even be channeling a form of the goddess if there is such a thing, bringing a (magical?) healing and tangible love to those in the pain of loss in a way that only a divine mother might be able to. Not that she personally would necessarily be aware of this, just saying...

I listened to the book as an audio file, and kept wondering how she found a narrator as capable and authentic sounding as she did, in fact I thought it was almost a crime that someone could read such material so movingly having not experienced it for themself. Obviously I did not read ahead of time that she is also the narrator, but it was very poignant for me at the end of the audiobook when she states that. She must have had to do multiple takes to be able to deliver such a professional sounding naration, and not break down weeping repeatedly recounting so much deeply personal and heart wrenching parts of her life.

I can honestly say that the effect this book had on me was close to hypnotic, and at a few places I found myself feeling washed by waves of love/energy to such an extent that I suspected something mystical and transformational (alchemical?) is being offered to those of us who are willing to accept such a gift while still physical, and I do not say that lightly. I was in a state of awe. If you decide to experience this book I suggest you listen to it, and now at least you have a hint of what may be in store for you. Possibly one of the best books (and I have read or listened to many in this genre!) I have ever had the great fortune to come across.

Oh, and I told my young sons that if something takes me out of this world before they are grown men, this is the book I want them to read/listen to to best understand the tentative conclusions I have come to from a lifetime of exploring the subject of what lies beyond here. The love shinning in her voice and words transcends boundaries and speaks tenderly & authentically to the heart and lucidly to the mind. Timeless.

I listened in one sitting.

She explains her journey in her search for affirmation of an afterlife rationally and beautifully. If your interested in trying mediums, past life regression, meditation or shamanism to help you through your grief this book gives pratical knowledge with her personal journey. Claire is the type of grief counselor I would love to see. Practical but open minded. I also loved that it was read by her. She has a lovely calming voice.

Good story, author should have hired someone to narrate

I happen to have like this book very much. It's about her experiences, her life, and all about her. A book, being about the authors experiences and solely her experiences, you would think that she would speak more enthusiastically or with more emotion. I would gladly listen to this book over again, if I was able to listen to it narrated by someone else who is more enthusiastically into it

enjoyable, relatable, and well written.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was suggested for me, and for some reason I hesitated to purchase/download, however I really liked it! I think it's the sort of book that can speak to many different people, for different reasons.
Narration was good. I didnt realize until the very end that it was actually read by the author. Overall, a very good listen. Much thanks & well wishes to the author!

Seemed like more of an autobiography

The research was very good and it further supported some of the things I have read and experienced about this topic, but overall it seemed like more of an autobiography of the author instead of a reference of the subject matter itself.

That doesn't mean it's a negative trait of this book, her experiences give meaning to the subject at hand However, while listening to it, I felt as if I was to focus on the author herself, and her life, more than the research that was being presented. It may be because the author performed the reading, maybe she should have had someone else record it. It would be interesting to see what my reaction would be had I read a physical copy of it.

Overall, it was a decent listen, better if an experienced voice actor would have done it to give it more separation, more animation in its recording. The author definitely did some research and soul searching in preparation of this book, not to mention the many life experiences she encountered along the way giving the content some foundation, and personal emotion, to its meaning.

She definitely leaves the reader with some very important things to think about as it pertains to their own personal journey. That alone, in my opinion, puts this in a class of a should read. Thank you for sharing your journey Claire, bless you, your family and friends.

Monotone Personal Journal

Glad that's over. Towards the end it became excruciating to get through. The author's narration was monotone which only made getting through the book more challenging. I wanted to like this book; occasionally throughout there were great tidbits of information. However, this was more of a journal, accompanied by letters to the author's daughters-which as sweet as they might be, were not relevant to the subject. I genuinely sympathize with Claire Bidwell Smith, she seems to be drowning in her grief from the multiple losses she has experienced. This book gave the impression it might hold some inspirational insights surrounding the subject of life after death, but instead it seemed to detail personal experiences with mediums, shamans, spiritual gurus and so on, along with some name dropping (Eben Alexander, Teresa Caputo), and some totally irrelevant letters. My biggest issue was how judgmental Claire came off towards a few things such as Burning Man and Christianity, just to list a couple. She seemed to be all over the place and very unresolved. She didn't seem to believe in the very things she was attempting to be a part of, and she definitely didn't seem to have come to any real conclusions other than we are all connected. At times it felt like she didn't take a lot of her experiences seriously, and was quite judgmental towards the people offering themselves or their gifts up to help others (ex: Caputo among others). In all honesty, Claire seems like a nice woman, a devoted Mother who adores her children, loves yoga, wine, and traveling, is deeply suffering from the pain of loss, struggles with the acceptance of her own mortality, and has a lot of unresolved/unanswered questions. She was honest about things, which I appreciate, but overall: not a lot to take away from this one, unless maybe you are one of her daughters or a personal friend.

Great book about our loved ones that have past.

They are always with us. They send birds, butterfly's etc to let us know. Some even come as owls!! You will learn a lot that gives you comfort. I like how its told from a person that was skeptical. Im not that kinda person. I fully believe my loved ones are always with me and will be there for me when its my turn to cross.

Be weary. Misleading title.

I was thoroughly disappointed in this book. The title was misleading. It's more a story of her everyday life and relationship with family instead of delving into the world of afterlife. She never came to any definite conclusions. The constant letters to her children were dull and irrelevant. The worst part was her very MONOTONE reading. I mostly listen to my books in the car. I had to try not to fall asleep. Someone else with a personality should've read for her. I do not recommend this book!

Political nonsense interjected - A big turn off

I was working through the first couple of chapters trying to overcome the monotone nature of narration and looking forward to hearing what was ahead nonetheless when the author quite shockingly went on a political rant blaming the “small-minded”“right wing” for “muddling up” her potential beliefs in Christianity. A huge turn off and so inappropriate. I have no interest in her political opinion even if it made any sense which it does not. I am relatively confident that, had she wanted to, she could have found God without having to subscribe to anyone else’s political beliefs, particularly those she feels compelled to insult and degrade in a book that she promoted as being about her spiritual journey not pushing a political agenda. This author has no credibility with me now, which is super disappointing as I wasted at least 2 hours on this book.

Helpful in my grief

I have lost my beautiful daughter in a sudden tragic auto accident. She was 26. Nothing can prepare a parent for this, but at least listening to this book has brought me some peace and it puts death in a different calmer context. Thank you.