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Letters to MATTHEW: Life After Loss
‘Letters to Matthew’ invites you into the world of grief. It is not sugar coated or edited to make it an easy read, which is why it has been separated into two distinct parts.
Part one contains the heartfelt letters written by grieving mother Louise to her son Matthew after he died at the age of twenty-seven. The letters are a mixture of anguish, deep sorrow, humour, wisdom, personal insights and experiences that may resonate with others who have lost a special person.
Part two is about her journey of self-discovery and how Louise turned her grief and loss into something positive. This book is not about fixing people or forcing the healing process because, as the book explains, there is no cure for grief. Grief can only be absorbed, carried, experienced and cared for.
The loss of a child is unimaginable, but Louise has managed to turn this heart-breaking experience into something positive. By sharing her letters, insights, thoughts and feelings with the world she is not only keeping Matthew’s memory alive but also giving hope to other people that life can meaningful again after the death of a loved one.
Grief is a sensitive subject which makes it challenging for writers to describe in a way that feels both real and honest. Louise has shown her vulnerability and documented her experience in a very brave and open-hearted way.
The book does have an uplifting ending!
328 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 17, 2026
Letters to Matthew: Life After Loss is a deeply moving and courageous book that invites readers into the raw and unfiltered world of a grieving mother. Louise Bates has written something truly special. It is not sugar coated or edited to make it an easy read, which is precisely why it is so powerful.
The book is divided into two distinct parts. The first part contains the heartfelt letters Louise wrote to her son Matthew after he passed away at the age of twenty-seven. These letters are a mixture of anguish, deep sorrow, humour, wisdom, and personal insights. They feel so real and honest that you cannot help but be drawn into her world. You feel her pain, her longing, and her desperate love for her son. But you also see her moments of lightness and even laughter, which makes the letters feel human and relatable.
The second part of the book is about Louise's journey of self-discovery and how she turned her grief and loss into something positive. This section is inspiring without being preachy. She does not claim to have all the answers. Instead, she shares what she has learned and how she has learned to carry her grief rather than try to fix it. She explains that there is no cure for grief. Grief can only be absorbed, carried, experienced and cared for. That message is so important and so often overlooked in books about loss.
What I admire most about this book is Louise's bravery. The loss of a child is unimaginable, and yet she has managed to turn this heartbreaking experience into something positive. By sharing her letters, insights, thoughts and feelings with the world, she is not only keeping Matthew's memory alive but also giving hope to other people that life can be meaningful again after the death of a loved one.
The book is divided into two distinct parts. The first part contains the heartfelt letters Louise wrote to her son Matthew after he passed away at the age of twenty-seven. These letters are a mixture of anguish, deep sorrow, humour, wisdom, and personal insights. They feel so real and honest that you cannot help but be drawn into her world. You feel her pain, her longing, and her desperate love for her son. But you also see her moments of lightness and even laughter, which makes the letters feel human and relatable.
The second part of the book is about Louise's journey of self-discovery and how she turned her grief and loss into something positive. This section is inspiring without being preachy. She does not claim to have all the answers. Instead, she shares what she has learned and how she has learned to carry her grief rather than try to fix it. She explains that there is no cure for grief. Grief can only be absorbed, carried, experienced and cared for. That message is so important and so often overlooked in books about loss.
What I admire most about this book is Louise's bravery. The loss of a child is unimaginable, and yet she has managed to turn this heartbreaking experience into something positive. By sharing her letters, insights, thoughts and feelings with the world, she is not only keeping Matthew's memory alive but also giving hope to other people that life can be meaningful again after the death of a loved one.
June 26, 2019
Very real. Very moving.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews