Widow to Widow (PDF)

Almost twenty years ago, the first edition of this book presented the theory, research, and findings of the original widow-to-widow project - a mutual help program started by the author in the 1960's. This approach, pioneered by the author in the mid-sixties, emphasizes the social and psychological transitions that accompany widowhood, facilitating the process of change from wife to widow to woman. Over the past three decades since the initial study's completion in 1973, a growing number of mutual self-help programs have used this influential work as a model. In this new edition, Silverman surveys at the success of the widow-to-widow model, while also looking to the future. New chapters consider special issues faced by the older widowed and widows with young children, and the whole book has been revised and updated to reflect the last twenty years of progress in the field. A how-to section concludes the book with useful additional resources and suggestions for how to form community support groups and committees. The first edition has been used in a variety of courses on bereavement, death & dying and continues to be widely-read and referenced by professionals in the field. Widow to Widow is a unique contribution to the literature, and this new edition comes at a time when mutual help and community support groups are regaining popularity.