The Weight Of What's Gone: Words & Thoughts From A Grieving Heart

by Jenna Lowthert

Through the loss of my mother, on my grief journey, I have always tried to pen to paper what I think in my head and what I feel in my heart. It’s hard to find the exact words to describe this thing they call grief. In this book, I share with you my collection of quotes and poems that were written to pause, reflect and acknowledge the sadness we feel after we experience such loss. For the moments when words feel impossible, for the nights when your heart aches for what’s gone, read these pages and you will find a place where your grief is understood. This one is for the hearts that continue to beat, even after they have been broken.

www.daughterofanangel.com

Genres: Grief, Poetry, Nonfiction

149 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2024

Reviews

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! I cried just a bit. But the author explains grief in ways I always thought were just me. I’m glad to know it’s not just me. Grief is a hell of a thing but this was powerful!

[Jen ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

mama 😭💔

[April Zabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's lost a parent, it spoke to my heart.

"I still remember walking down that sad, dark hallway of the hospital feeling as if I was leaving you behind, and when I reached those doors, I stepped outside, and in that moment I knew my life would never be the same again...

and even after all these years, I still hope you knew that I never wanted to leave your side."

[Venus · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few Grammer errors throughout the Book, but other than that I enjoyed it. I lost my Dad almost 3yrs ago and it was nice to feel seen.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and heart breaking

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so emotional for me. I lost my mom when I was only 15 and there is still so much grief I face even now 9 years later. I miss her everyday. There are so many things that she didn't get to see or do. I think knowing all that is the worst part of grief. It's the knowing that they would be there faster than anyone, but they aren't there.

"the weight of what’s gone is not only in the sadness. sometimes it’s in the realization that some things will never be the same again."

"how unfair it is, that i have to live the rest of my life, without you."

"she wasn’t just my mother. she was so much more than that. she was the true embodiment of love. she was the best friend who stood by my side no matter what. she’s the one who loved me without condition and i wouldn’t be half the person i am today if it weren’t for her and all she has shown me."

"you were the best of the best. you were the heart of our family. you were the rock that we stood on. you were the glue that held it all together. and nothing has been the same without you."

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains short verses that describe loss and grief. Some resonate perfectly.

[lexi ivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book in my life.

I lost my mom when I was 25, she was 45. Her death was unexpected and sudden. It shredded me to pieces. I’ve felt so alone and so unable to express my pain through grief. This book helped put my feelings into words and made me feel less alone. I cried at every word as it felt so deep and personal to me. I’ll be reading this again. I skipped the part of to my daughter from dad, because I’m not ready to imagine the pain of losing my dad, but I’ll be saving that part of the book for the day I need it. If you lost your mom, I highly recommend this book.

[Melissa Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t even tell you how much I love this book! I lost my Darling Dad the night before Thanksgiving 11/26/25. I was alone to find him that night was literally a nightmare. To say I miss him is putting it lightly. All of these poems are so relatable. I will definitely reread these poem over and over again. I ended up getting my mom and one of my sisters this book because of how much I love it! It’s so wonderful to be seen and heard. And to know that we’re not alone for this. This is unfortunately, the most natural thing that everyone gets to go through. Part of me died the night that my dad passed away. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about him. I love him so dearly forever grateful to be his daughter. Forever a daddy’s girl.

[PetraReads2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a quick read for Mother’s Day.

I lost my mom on May 27, 2021. The author of this book also lost her mom on May 27, 2013 so that was interesting to see at the end of this book.

May is an incredibly difficult month for me. I lost my twin sister on May 27, 1990 (we were 6 weeks old) and then my mom on the same day 31 years apart. My mom and I had a rough relationship for a few years prior to her passing and reconnected only 3 months before she passed. I have a lot of regrets, a lot of things I wish I could have said.

This book helped me work through a little bit of the grief I’m experiencing today. It definitely made me feel a little less alone

[Grazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"to have to helplessly watch them slip away.
to be told that there is nothing more that can be done.
to have to make decisions that no person should ever have to make and to have sleepless nights thinking about it all...
i see you. i understand you."

It's been almost 5 years since I lost my dad & reading this specific paragraph made it seem like it was just yesterday. Thank you author for sharing this with us. I feel validated to still grieve even after how many years. I hope everyone of us will soon heal.

[Kaci Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels weird to rate a book about someone’s grief. There’s nothing insanely profound or extremely poetic here, but it’s a beautiful and relatable expression of grief. It was nice to read something by someone who lost their mom at the same point of life I did. It gave me a chance to reflect, to feel less alone, and to find new ways to put some feelings into words.

[Lindsey Grannis · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing both of my parents, this brought up so many emotions for me. Some things that I haven’t been able to put into words. Reading the “letters to my daughter” healed parts of me that I never thought would be healed.

[Gina Sandrzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, beautiful collection of words, thoughts, and poems about losing a mother. It’s the kind of book you flip through and return to when you need it most. A gentle reminder that you are not alone in your

[Angela Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good 🤍

[Clarissa Perez-Cardona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book more than I thought. It feels so comforting to read something that expresses how I feel. I feel seen in my grief when often I feel alone. I lost my mom in June 2023 and everyday is a struggle.

[Georgia Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried my way through this one. A beautiful book full of poems that are so relatable and couldn’t be more truthful to anyone’s grief journey, was a nice read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was ready to read this.

I miss you so much dad 😢

[Ashley DePoutot · Rating 4 out of 5]

“i never truly understood loss
until i sat next to my mom’s
hospital bed and begged
for a miracle that never came.”

[Bailee Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to highlight the whole book

i lost my nana in 2020, she was my best friend, my mother figure, my safe space, my home. i miss her everyday and the grief has been so hard to deal w. this book made me feel so seen and understood. i cried in a good way. thank you for sharing your words w those of us who need them.

[Nelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read this book!

I recently just lost my mom to leukemia this year and also my brother due to a car accident back in October of 2024. Reading this book really made me realize how much I related to everything Jenna had to say. My mom was only 47 when she passed from leukemia and I’m currently 25. So when I read that Jenna’s mom was only 48 and she was 24 I was shocked because it wasn’t much of an age difference we were just a year older and a year younger from one another. It was comforting to read this book and find peace knowing that I am not alone and there are others out there that share similar experiences with grief like this. Loved this book so much! I will definitely be purchasing the hard copy to look back on just to read passages that resonated so much to me.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Beautiful words and poems that resonated with my grief journeys. Thank you for sharing and letting those of us who are grieving know we are not alone in our heavy emotions.

[Baleigh Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever lost a mother, I definitely recommend reading this. Had me in tears, however it definitely hits home.

[Krista Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept seeing this in a grief group on FB so when I saw it on KU i grabbed it to read through. Very quick read, some poems of course are more impactful than others. Very healing to reflect upon.

[Maria Ibarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief

I lost my father last October and have been looking for the words to explain how I feel, this book does that and more. If you've lost someone you will recognize some of these moments and emotions. I recommend this book to help you gather your thoughts and emotions.

[mjborchert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really can't put into words what this book did for me. Sometimes someone putting into words exactly how you feel just gives you a little bit of breath. This will be a frequent re-read for me. ❣️

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young female who has lost her mom and sister, this was very touching and relatable.

[⚓️Jennifer Sacchetti ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read, pages are filled with poems abs quotes from loved ones dealing with the loss of someone that this struggle with, that they mourn on a daily basis. Some pages hit really hard, sometimes it’s good to just let those tears flow.
Miss you, Dad!

[Misty Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna hit the nail on the head with this book! I lost my Mother to cancer in February 2024 and Jenna literally wrote the very words I felt but couldn’t put together. I’m so thankful for this book!

[Sarah Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect collection of poetry to cry to on your dead mom’s birthday 🫡