Michael Myers and Carla Fine, Touched by Suicide: Hope and Healing after Loss, (New York: Gotham Books), 2006.

If I were to recommend only one book on the subject of suicide, I'd probably become so overwhelmed by the task that I wouldn't be able to choose a single volume. The truth is that the subject is just too big for understanding with a lifetime of reading, studying and experience. But among the books that everyone who is a survivor of suicide and everyone who cares for survivors should have is this volume. It really provides a broad-based overview of the topic, considering the pain of loss, the process of grief, several special circumstances surrounding specific types of suicide, talking with children about suicide, and many more topics.

As a first responder to death by suicide in our town, I often find myself providing resources for those who are swept up in the grief of a sudden and traumatic loss along with the stigma attached to mental illness and the lack of societal understanding of the nature and effects of suicide. For those who seek meaning from reading, this book is an excellent resource. I assume that my copy of the book will be given away and replaced multiple times in my life.

This is a well-researched book with an excellent bibliography. It is a must-read for those whose lives are affected by suicide - and these days that is a lot of us.