Whether you’re seeking to understand your own grief and tools for coping, or you want to be the best support system as possible for a bereaved loved one, look no further than It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine. She writes bluntly about deep grief, providing honesty that many crave. It’s both an intimate look at Megan’s own grief and a toolkit for a grieving person and their friend, all of which can be grounds for validation and accompaniment in your own grief. Devine also dives deep into our cultural models for grief, where they go wrong, and what a better culture could look like. She points out that our Western culture has a difficult time engaging with deep pain, and grieving people are often negatively impacted by this. Devine argues that this cultural difficulty engaging with deep pain applies to injustice as well. When deep injustice occurs, people often jump to outrage, which shields us from doing the work of deep empathy for the pain of others.
Book Review by Ryan’s Place Intern Madeline, Goshen College BSW Program
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