Loss and impermanence are inescapable， part of the warp and weft of our lives。 They are essential to love， to growth， and to art。 And yet， too often， we do not acknowledge loss in the broadest sense， let alone honour the experience of it。 We see it as a bad thing， rather than understanding that using our suffering will lead to true compassion。

Illuminating， thoughtful， and deeply necessary， Susan Cain's new book will help us to name and value the experience of loss， pointing the way toward ways of being and rituals that help us to accept it rather than bury it。 Blending memoir， reportage， and social science， it will reveal that joy and loss exist in equilibrium; that vulnerability， loss and sorrow can be strengths; and that embracing our inevitable losses makes us more human and more whole。