Best of the ACW Archives: Book Review - No Time to Say Goodbye by Paul Arnott

Review by Dorothy Adamek

No Time To Say Goodbye by Australian author Paul Arnott should be on everyone’s bookshelf. Written for those who’ve suddenly lost a loved one, in particular parents whose children have died unexpectedly, it touches every heart with the raw journey of Paul and Roseanne Arnott’s journey in the months and years after their son James died of SIDS at nine weeks.

Paul takes the reader through the grieving process. Beginning with the numbness death brought to his young family, he chronicles the guilt, the tiredness, the anger, resentment and pain often present in the varying expressions of early grief, and unpacks the uniqueness of these first reactions experienced by him and his wife, and their young daughter, Alice. He also draws on examples of other families who’ve faced the unexpected death of a loved one.

This book is painful to read. But the insight is vital for anyone who cares to understand the particular needs of those experiencing a sudden death. Unlike the steps taken by the families of the chronically ill, No Time To Say Goodbye tackles issues such as slowing down between the time of death and the funeral. The importance of being allowed to navigate those days at one’s own pace, instead of being rushed by unknown protocols and the expectations of those who come alongside.

Read more at the following link: 
http://australasianchristianwriters.blogspot.co.nz/2013/09/book-review-no-time-to-say-goodbye-by_19.html