A Hole in the World: Finding Hope in Rituals of Grief and Healing

Amanda Held Opelt's memoir explores the history of human grief practices and how previous generations have journeyed through periods of suffering. She explores grief rituals and customs from various cultures, such as the Irish tradition of keening, the Victorian tradition of post-mortem photographs, the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, and the tradition of mourning clothing, which allows the bereaved to honor their grief. Opelt shares how God met her in the midst of sorrow and grieved along with her, and shows that when we carefully and honestly attend to our losses, we are able to expand our capacity for love, faith, and healing.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

When Amanda Held Opelt faced a season of profound loss, including three miscarriages and the unexpected passing of her sister, New York Times bestselling writer Rachel Held Evans, she was confronted with sorrow that she didn't know how to navigate. Opelt struggled to process her grief and come to terms with the harsh reality of pain in the world. She also grappled with challenging questions: What does it truly mean to grieve and grieve well? Why is it so difficult to move on? Why didn't my faith prepare me for this kind of pain? And what am I supposed to do now?

Her quest for answers led her to uncover the rich traditions of past generations that served as vessels for pain and aided in the process of grieving and healing. However, as religious practice declined, cultures amalgamated, death was sanitized, and pain was averted, many of these traditions were lost.

In this raw and authentic memoir of bereavement, Opelt delves into the history of human grief practices and how previous generations have traversed periods of suffering. She explores various grief rituals and customs from different cultures, including:

- The Irish tradition of keening, or wailing in grief, which teaches her that healing can only begin when we immerse ourselves fully in our sorrow.
- The Victorian tradition of post-mortem photographs and how we struggle to remember a loved one as they were.
- The Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, which reminds her to find strength in her community even when God feels distant.
- The tradition of mourning clothing, which set the bereaved apart in society for a time, allowing them to honor their grief.

As Opelt explores each of these bereavement practices, she finds a framework for processing her own pain. She shares how, despite her doubts and anger, God met her in the midst of sorrow, offering solace and comfort.

Through her journey, Opelt encourages readers to embrace the rituals and traditions that have been passed down through generations, providing a means to navigate the depths of grief and find healing. She reminds us that even in the face of loss, there is always hope and beauty to be found.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781546001904