Dear Great Book Guru, I am so, so sad today. My good friend Evie Haim died this past weekend. Can you think of something I could read that would offer me some comfort. Grieving Friend

Dear Grieving Friend, You and all of Sea Cliff lost a great friend- Evie touched the lives of so many people from the youngest to the eldest among us. Her work with Landmarks is an enduring legacy, but her spirit also lives on in the hearts of so many of us who called her friend. Bob and the children are in everyone's thoughts and, yes, there is comfort to be found in books- small comfort, but comfort nevertheless. NECESSARY LOSSES by Judith Viorst was written almost fifteen years ago but is still wildly available. Viorst takes us gingerly through the losses one endures over a lifetime and helps us to see each loss as part of large, encompassing canvas. Whether it is a friend, your youth, a parent-Viorst sees all loss sharing an underlying sameness ; the book starts when we are young children and takes us up until the final loss: our own death- the loss of self. While this book may sound grim, it is actually very uplifting. Poems abound throughout and set an inspiring tone. Viorst leaves us with a feeling of peace despite the pain that these necessary losses bring to us.