In Who Am I Now? Reflections on Spirituality and Grief, psychotherapist and religious studies scholar Kelley Raab offers a deep appreciation of the importance of grieving our losses. The death of her mother propelled her on a spiritual search for purpose and identity. Along the way she discovered previous, unmourned losses that interfered with her ability to experience joy and hope. Inspired by her seamstress grandmother, Kelley uses a quilting metaphor to sort out the layers of her grief. In Part One, “ The Pieces,” she looks at maternal grief and the spiritual questions that arose when her mother died. In Part Two, “The Background (Backing),” she explores deeply rooted fears regarding belonging, a childhood trauma, and a possible way forward. In Part Three, “The Quilting,” she draws upon Buddhist Tonglen, the arts, and feminist theology to stitch threads of meaning into her life post-loss. Kelley sews a bit herself, a legacy inherited from both sides of the family. The book’s blend of research, memoir, art, and poetry weaves a skillful tapestry, offering key insights into the psychology and spirituality of grieving.

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