Bearing the Unbearable

Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief

By: Joanne Cacciatore

Narrated by: Joanne Cacciatore

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

If you love, you will grieve—and nothing is more mysteriously central to becoming fully human.

A 2017 Indies Finalist from Foreword Reviews.

When a loved one dies, the pain of loss can feel unbearable—especially in the case of a traumatizing death that leaves us shouting, “NO!” with every fiber of our body. The process of grieving can feel wild and nonlinear—and often lasts for much longer than other people, the nonbereaved, tell us it should.

Organized into fifty-two short chapters, Bearing the Unbearable is a companion for life’s most difficult times, revealing how grief can open our hearts to connection, compassion, and the very essence of our shared humanity. Dr. Joanne Cacciatore—bereavement educator, researcher, Zen priest, and leading counselor in the field—accompanies us along the heartbreaking path of love, loss, and grief. Through moving stories of her encounters with grief over decades of supporting individuals, families, and communities—as well as her own experience with loss—Cacciatore opens a space to process, integrate, and deeply honor our grief.

Not just for the bereaved, Bearing the Unbearable will be required listening for grief counselors, therapists and social workers, clergy of all varieties, educators, academics, and medical professionals. Organized into fifty-two accessible and stand-alone chapters, this book is also perfect for being listened to in support groups.

©2017 Joanne Cacciatore (P)2023 Joanne Cacciatore

Being with grief

The book, Bearing the Unbearable, might seem to be a counter-intuitive approach to grief given what our "be happy" culture tells us about how to handle grief. While the world is telling us to get better, feel better and move on, it is, rather, through approaching and embracing grief that it helps us transform. Through the many grief stories from bereaved parents, siblings, spouses and children who have lost parents, Dr. Cacciatore demonstrates the power and value in giving space to remembering and honoring our deceased loved ones. I highly recommend this book.

- a bereaved Mom (K's Mom)