COMFORT by Ann Hood

Anyone who has read Ann Hood's works knows she's excellent at her trade.
COMFORT is not her usual offering, but it's a must read, especially for anyone who has lost a child.
Grief following the death of a child is said to be the ultimate grief and Hood testifies to that in this precious book.
In 2002, her five-year-old daughter contracted a virulent strain of strep and within 48 hours, little Grace died. For a long time Hood couldn't write and understandably so.
At someone's suggestion she started knitting and joined a knitting group. The mindlessness involved when knitting seemed to comfort her.
Her first work after the horror was a novel THE KNITTING CIRCLE in which a group of women come together to knit and they each reveal their grief. (Next on my to-read list.)
It was followed by this memoir, subtitled A Journey Through Grief.
Even if it weren't well written (which it is), I'd still have to give it five stars if only for the courage it took to write. By writing COMFORT, Hood had to pick at the places that were healing, make them raw again, and allow us to watch her bleed.
When her son expressed the need of wanting the family to be happy again, the family made a huge decision which you'll find in this story.
Nobody will forget Grace, least of all her mother, but, hopefully the awful pain has eased.