On Your Own: A Widow's Guide to Emotional and Financial Well-Being

This is the sixth edition of this extraordinarily sensitive and thoughtful bestselling classic written by women for women addressing what is frequently the most stressful and emotionally challenging experience any married woman is forced to address. It provides the reader with both an understanding of what she is experiencing in the present and a road map to go from where she is to ultimately achieving emotional and financial wellbeing. In this latest edition they have upgraded what needed to be updated to keep the material current while maintaining its compassion for what the reader is experiencing.

The authors provide the reader with essential information in a very readable manner. They have created the stories of four hypothetical women of different ages and circumstances that illustrate a variety of situations that most widows are likely to encounter. It is written in a way that allows the widow to go at her own pace. She can read a given chapter of the book or the book in its entirety. It provides both practical tools and financial knowledge for the widow to move forward and emerge stronger.

This book covers concepts as well as provides specific information. It is the contention of the authors, widows themselves, that emotional and financial healing is linked. In addition to the emotional roller coaster most widows experience following the death of their spouse whether totally unexpected or the result of a protracted illness is the fear of how will I survive financially. Financial insecurity increases anxiety and the widow's often overwhelming feeling of being alone without the resources to maintain her existing lifestyle or meet her financial responsibilities. Feeling out of control and alone is often terrifying and compounds the grieving process.

While this book is written for widows, many widows have shared with the authors that after reading the book and processing the information it contained, they shared the book with their daughters, friends or relatives because they believed that the information it contained would also be valuable to them. Information contributes to preparedness. Knowledge is always invaluable when dealing with any issue.

The authors believe that this book will help any widow find the path that is right for her. Over and over again, they have been told how this book was like a life raft for them enabling them to understand financial matters better than ever before and not feel so alone while dealing with the magnitude of loss.