A Hand to Hold
Julie Shaw

National Treasure, and Britain’s favourite agony aunt, Coleen Nolan explores the different ways in which we deal with grief. A chatty and interesting look at an often taboo subject, Coleen takes us up close and personal with her celebrity friends and explores how they found ways to cope with their loss.

The Nolan family have suffered great loss themselves and have drawn strength from each other in the darkest times. Throughout her own journey, Coleen discovered that there is no set formula for grief. What is right for some, simply isn’t for others. Let’s Talk About Grief is designed to take the reader through this unsteady journey, and to offer comfort to those who have had the misfortune to share it.

In a non linear style, Coleen talks about all the well documented stages of grief, giving real examples from real people. She shares with us some funny stories as well as some really sad ones. The Eamonn Holmes interview, though principally about the death of his beloved mother, shares that he considers himself  a ‘professional funeral goer’ and takes great pride in such sombre occasions. Jake Quickenden tells of how he uses dark humour to armour himself against depression after the untimely death of his brother.

This book aims to tackle all kinds of loss, including less often highlighted subjects such as the loss of a family pet, and the loss of a child or pregnancy. Coleen talks about the full process, from the days prior to a loss, the funeral planning and the grieving itself in all its forms. We are shown that there is no timescale to the deep sadness we experience when losing a loved one, only an assurance that our pain will lessen as we progress with our lives. We remain forever changed by our loss, there’s no denying that, but we can continue to live a rich and fulfilling life.