Finding the Words

Praise

“After loss, one of the most common responses is “There are no words.” But often times, words are what people who are grieving need the most. When silence is replaced with empathy and support, we help others heal. In his new book Finding the Words, Colin Campbell provides powerful advice for processing pain and being there for those who are. By bravely sharing his journey through the unimaginable, Colin will bring hope to so many.”
—Sheryl Sandberg, Founder, LeanIn.org and OptionB.org

“An astonishing and near-miraculous achievement. After experiencing the staggering, shocking loss of two beautiful children, Colin Campbell summons up reservoirs of memory, attention, and compassion to give other grieving, stricken people a complete taxonomy and analysis of the emotions that will engulf and bewilder them but can also guide them through agony and grief. In this work which borders on prayer, Campbell makes the unlivable livable and the unbearable bearable, at least barely. It’s hard for me to recollect a greater act of human solidarity and emotional decency than the writing of this magnificent and gut-wrenching book.”
—Congressman Jamie Raskin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Unthinkable

“Finding the Words is a masterclass not only on grief, but on survival. The tragic deaths of Colin Campbell’s teenage children, Ruby and Hart, created a sinkhole of sorrow so deep it felt as though it might consume the world. Though this book emerged from that terrible loss, it never feels despairing. Instead, with profound vulnerability, unflinching honesty, and startling humor, Campbell offers a rare glimpse at the depths of unimaginable loss and a pathway forward toward renewed life. This book’s timeless wisdom is a gift to anyone with a broken heart, and to all who care for the broken-hearted with love.”
—Sharon Brous, founder and senior rabbi of IKAR

“An honest, pragmatic, and comforting field guide for each of us searching for a way to live with loss.”
—Steve Leder, bestselling author of The Beauty of What Remains

“Few books have captured, with such painful grace, the reality of catastrophic loss like Colin Campbell’s. My heart broke open reading Finding the Words. In this beautiful and poetic narrative, Ruby and Hart’s dad takes the reader on a winding road of emotions, from grief and loneliness to meaning and threads of hope. I wept many kinds of tears reading this book. And I am better for having read it.”
—Joanne Cacciatore, PhD, author of Bearing the Unbearable

“This is one of the most honest and refreshing takes on grief I’ve ever read. Finding the Words weaves the author’s deeply personal story of loss with truly useful advice and insights. This profound book will offer comfort, guidance, and hope to anyone seeking something to hold onto in even the darkest of times.”
—Claire Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief