Rosenstein,D.,& Yopp,J. (2018). The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life

Reviewed by: Kenneth J. Doka, The College of New Rochelle, New York, NY, USA

Rosenstein and Yopp offer an interesting anecdotal narrative about seven widowed fathers trying to rebuild and reexamine life after the death of a spouse. While their stories illustrate varied aspects of the grieving process, most clinicians will not find these stories surprising, but they may be useful in assisting clients—especially males—as they struggle with loss. The book does explore the complexity of grief especially, as these men have to not only struggle with their own loss but also assist their children in coping with grief. The disappointing aspect of the book is that the authors seemingly did a “quick study” of grief prior to the group. A richer understanding of the complexity of grief and deeper familiarity with some of the more current approaches to grief theory and therapy would have made a far richer contribution.