Based on the author's previous guides to a 10-touchstone method of grief
therapy, this book takes an inspirational approach to the material,
presenting the idea of wilderness as a sustained metaphor for grief--and
likening the death of a loved one to the experience of being wrenched
from normal life and dropped down in the middle of nowhere. Feeling lost
and afraid in this uncharted territory, people are initially
overwhelmed, the book explains, but they begin to make their way through
the new landscape by searching for trail markers--or touchstones--until
they emerge as intrepid travelers climbing up out of despair. The
touchstones for each step are described in short chapters such as
Embrace the Uniqueness of Your Loss, Recognize You Are Not Crazy, and
Appreciate Your Transformation.