Overview

In the midst of overwhelming or lingering grief, sometimes the only comfort is knowing that you're not alone. This courageously honest, beautifully designed book offers solace through shared stories of loss. Our grief is our own, as unique as a fingerprint, as fragile as a snowflake. Yet others have crawled through this same valley, stumbling blindly under the shadow of death. In the pages of this exquisite book of stories, meditations, and art, you will meet fellow mourners: presidents and poets; scientists and theologians; writers and filmmakers; artists and musicians; homebodies and wanderers. They, too, wrestled with questions known to all who grieve: Why did this happen? Where are my loved ones now? How can I go on? The 27 meditations in A Hope Observed offer a chance to understand loss and find meaning in our lives ahead. Bereaved father David Bannon weaves his own story into the stories of others, sharing his struggles with doubt, regret, and unanswerable questions. Each day's meditation includes Scripture, a reflection prompt, and a work of art that expresses sorrow and love in surprising ways. Bannon also explores startling advances in grief therapy that confirm our suspicions: our dead are with God even as we feel them near; we are not crazy; our grief is normal, healthy, and expected. A Hope Observed is unflinchingly honest, revealing how loss can cause even the strongest person to lose their bearings completely, with no ""ending point"" in sight. Yet, there is a quiet hope that comes in the company of others, and a light that begins to appear as we realize that grief is love, and the One who walks with us knows our sorrows. A Hope Observed uncovers a bedrock truth: There is nothing we can say that God does not understand. There is nothing we can say that God does not want to hear.

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Reviews

Over the years I have read a number of books about loss and grief: some more theological, some more therapeutic, and some more autobiographical. I have never read a book like David Bannon's A Hope Observed. His powers of observation and reflection seem infinite, his use of language creative and insightful. He introduced me to ideas that I have rarely if ever considered, largely by telling stories. Some, like Job, were obvious. But most came as a surprise to me: Mary Shelley? Dwight Eisenhower? William James? These stories plunge to the depths of loss, mostly of children, including Bannon's own daughter, and of unspeakable grief. Still, Bannon doesn't stop there. He consults with poets, artists, philosophers, theologians, and psychologists who have pondered the horror of such losses. Reading this book is like sitting down at a banquet that nourishes the soul. I for one feasted at the table and came away filled with hope. Gerald L. Sittser is a professor emeritus of theology (Whitworth University) and author of A Grace Disguised and Water from a Deep Well

Author Information

David Bannon is the author of two previous books on grief: Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art and Meditations (Paraclete Press, 2018) and Songs on the Death of Children: Selected Poems from Kindertotenlieder (Toplight/McFarland, 2022). He taught college for many years and has been interviewed on The Discovery Channel, A&E, The History Channel, NPR, Fox News, and in The Wall Street Journal. David and his wife currently live in South Carolina.

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