TESTIMONIALS
"Mom Minus Dad is a good, steady companion for anyone facing the inevitable life transition of the death of a parent and the ensuing grief. Jamieson has written a book filled with practical information and gentle wisdom for coping with the vast and easily overwhelming details and experiences left to the surviving family members when a parent dies. Using skillfully shared personal experience, she implicitly and explicitly illustrates presence, compassion, and self-care as containers for effectively managing the myriad tasks and stages following a parent’s death. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone coping with or anticipating the death of a parent."
—Jeffrey Brantley MD, director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine and author of Calming Your Anxious Mind, and coauthor of the Five Good Minutes book series.
"Very readable and informative. The author engages the reader immediately. It’s like sitting down over the kitchen table with a good friend who, through the lens of her own personal experience, acts like a mentor, guide, and soft shoulder to lean on. Rich with resources and packed with very practical and “doable” suggestions. A “must-have” for anyone who has suffered the loss of a parent. Our firm will be recommending the book to our own clients."
—Gene L. Osofsky, elder-law attorney
"Mom Minus Dad is like having a best friend to guide you through one of the toughest times of your life. Compassionate, concise, and packed with resources and the advice you need just when you need it most. A must read for caregivers of ill or aging parents."
—Sheila Warnock, founder and president, SharetheCaregiving, Inc. Coauthor, Share the Care, How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who Is Seriously Ill
"Mom Minus Dad provides a real service to anyone facing the death of a loved one. No one in our culture wants to discuss death and its surrounding grief and responsibilities. Jamieson not only provides an encyclopedic guide to resources and information but also shares her own personal struggle with her father’s death. By sharing the experiences she, her mother, and sister Ivy endured, she will make the journey for others less difficult."
—Carolyn Newton Curry PhD, founder and director, Women Alone Together®
"This is the most incredible resource I have ever seen—prepared with such care and concern, as well as always-needed humor and reassurance. Ms. Haverkampf not only shares from her own experience but also has organized exhaustive research, which will make your journey much easier!"
—Lulu Orr, Executive Director, Good Grief Center for Bereavement Support
"Jamieson and her family have lived the nightmare that keeps the rest of us awake at night—just thinking about the journey ahead. This is a journey that you do not need to take alone. Mom Minus Dad acts as the travel guide for adult children and aging parents to follow as they face the inevitable end-of-life issues. On the road map, Jamieson has posted warning signs based upon personal experience to keep you on the right track, and she offers pothole-free roads to follow with her extensive resource listing. This is a must-have resource book for all families."
—Jeanne K. Smith, Estate Organization Expert and Founder of Exit Stage Right®
"Losing a parent is a profoundly traumatic event, made worse by all the tasks required to settle an estate. Jamieson Haverkampf's Mom Minus Dad is indeed an essential resource guide for every adult child who helps a surviving parent navigate the maze of practical responsibilities before or after a loved one's death. By sharing her experiences, Ms. Haverkampf provides hope to others in believing that they don't have to go through their journey alone."
—Yvette Colón, PhD, MSW, Director of Education and Internet Services, The American Pain Foundation,
REVIEWS
When one parent dies, the children have to quickly learn to deal with their own grief as well as assist their surviving parent. Written by a woman whose father died unexpectedly of cancer, Mom Minus Dad is packed with information that will help families provide support to a newly widowed parent.
The book discusses the many aspects of dealing with a parent’s death and is written in an easy-to-read, conversational style. The author, Jamieson Haverkampf, and her sister had to help their mother manage her affairs after their father died. Haverkampf uses her experience to explain how to handle the first weeks after loss, build a support team, take care of yourself, handle paperwork and finances, and help the parent relocate if that is necessary. The book also provides advice on how to move forward, handle holidays and anniversaries, deal with the change in family dynamics, and find a community. Interspersed in each chapter are stories from the author’s experience.
Mom Minus Dad contains an impressive 113 pages of resources covering almost every topic a child might encounter while helping a grieving parent, including low-cost airfares available to the bereaved, food delivery services, state-by-state bereavement support groups, bookkeepers, moving companies, online communities, and legal issues. The book also includes checklists and worksheets to assist with every task.
—www.ElderLawAnswers.com, April 28, 2008
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