The need to be loved and love someone in return represents one of the deepest, most powerful, and often, quite destructive desires unless managed with a proper understanding of the nature of these emotions and feelings. In her book, “Overcome Grief to Find Love Again,” Mary Montgomery (2020) explains the key steps toward finding happiness in fulfilling personal relationships even after suffering trauma. Although the book tends to represent reciprocal love as the absolute need that must be satisfied eventually in every person’s life, which could be seen as an overgeneralization, Montgomery’s (2020) study does provide a rather substantial and thorough analysis of the factors that shape one’s path toward successful relationships with a significant other, as well as strengthen these relationships and allow building a life together.
The author’s ability to help the reader in reconciling with conflicting feelings is one of the main strengths of the book. Admittedly, grief that accompanies loss of a significant other or a family member often becomes a massive impediment to pursuing personal happiness in the future. Indeed, as Montgomery (2020) explains, the weight of sorrow experienced after a loss often becomes a major obstacle on the path to finding love. Specifically, Montgomery (2020) warns that the feeling of guilt t5hat the idea of personal happiness may evoke after a tragic experience of the kind is likely to become an unmanageable barrier. However, the book handles the specified issue with exceptional tactfulness and nuance, allowing the reader to embrace the idea of personal happiness and stop viewing it as conflicting with the experience of a personal loss (Montgomery, 2020). Therefore, one must credit Montgomery’s book for the specified message that becomes a powerful tool for personal healing.
At the same time, the nook has several dents in its narrative. The focus on personal relationships as the ostensibly ultimate goal and the path to happiness can be seen as one of such problems. Although the specified message might not be the intended one, it is emphasized throughout the book consistently as Montgomery (2020) represents the search for love as one of the cornerstone building blocks to one’s personal satisfaction and inner peace. Therefore, even though the author might not have intended for the message to be represented in such a way, it definitely introduces a certain controversy to the subject matter. Nevertheless, the book incorporates insightful and wise ideas that are worthy of being incorporated into one’s personal philosophy. Offering path to emotional and psychological healing, the book guides one toward healthy interpersonal relationships (Montgomery, 2020). Therefore, Montgomery’s (2020) book conveys an important message that should be spread further to support those grieving from a personal loss.
Despite minor issues in the author’s philosophy, particularly, the interpretation of reciprocated love as the core requirement for personal happiness, the book serves its purpose splendidly, meeting the readers’ expectations by offering generally useful pieces of advice concerning interpersonal relationships. Thus, the book can be considered as a notable contribution to the exploration of interpersonal relationships and the support of those ion need for recommendations concerning managing their personal lives. Thus, even though the book could have benefitted from the introduction of intersectional perspectives on relationships, it still offers good recommendations and, therefore, should eb seen as a positive addition to the current literary pantheon of relationships’ analysis.
Reference
Montgomery, M. (2020). Overcome grief to finding love again: Heal your heart, create a map of your desires & transform your life. Independently Published.