The death of a friend is one of the most significant but unrecognized experiences of grief.

Almost everyone will, at some point in their lives, suffer the death of a beloved friend. Yet though this experience is just as common as the loss of a father or mother, there are fewer resources for those who experience this devastating and sometimes confusing loss. Drawing on his own experiences losing dear friends, as well as the experiences of others, grief counselor and educator Harold Ivan Smith guides readers through this unique grief.

In this updated edition of his 1996 classic, Smith encourages readers to embrace and listen to their grief as a natural response to loss, and to give themselves time to work through sadness, ambiguous feelings, memories, and the reality of living without a valued friend. With gentle and wise words, Smith speaks to those who have gone through this loss, and those yet to face it.