Drawing on both her personal losses, recounted in her memoir The Rules of Inheritance,as well as her background working in hospice as a bereavement counselor, Smith attempts to show how exploring the afterlife can have a positive impact on the grief process.process.
Claire Bidwell Smith is the author of The Rules of Inheritance and After This. The Rules of Inheritance has been published in seventeen countries and is currently being adapted for film. Claire has a master's degree in clinical psychology and is a therapist specializing in grief. She regularly teaches writing workshops and gives talks on both writing and grief. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including The Huffington Post, Slate, Salon.com, Chicago Public Radio and BlackBook. She lives in Los Angeles with her two daughters. www.clairebidwellsmith.com
Praise for After This:
With wisdom and grace, Claire Bidwell Smith navigates the
mysteries of grief to show us that there is great meaning and even
magic to be found in exploring the unknown.
--Maria Shriver, bestselling author of What's Heaven? This
is the book I wish I had when my husband died. Claire took me on a
quest attempting to answer all the crazy questions I had after his
death. Engrossing from page one all the way to the very end.
--Christina Rasmussen, author of Second Firsts: Live, Laugh and
Love Again "Claire Bidwell Smith, with her writer's heart and
therapist's mind, has written a stunningly generous book alive with
curiosity, humility, skepticism, and bravery. In After This
you will teeter on the edge of the Spirit world; and whether you
believe, or wish to, or simply can't, Bidwell Smith has written one
of the most inspiring books about death you will ever read."
-Christa Parravani, author of Her: A Memoir A transfixing
ode to the enigmatic cycle of life and death, After This
will resonate with seekers and skeptics alike. Grief therapist
Claire Bidwell Smith explores in lyrical prose tricky existential
terrain with compelling philosophical persistence, humility, and
poise. You will not forget this book. --Aidan Donnelley
Rowley, author of Life After Yes "With deep
compassion, profound vulnerability, and transcendent lyricism,
Claire Bidwell Smith embraces that which we so often run from in
this culture: loss. This is a transformative book that will change
the way you think about death, and by extension, life."
--Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of
Some Girls "In this eloquent, smart, funny and deeply
thoughtful book, Claire Bidwell Smith takes us on a powerful
journey of discovery. She asks the most important questions about
life, love, death, and what it means to be human, and does so with
equal measures of skepticism and a broken-open heart. By doing so,
she becomes an utterly trustworthy guide. Reader, follow her.
You'll be so glad you did." -Dani Shapiro, author of
Devotion and Still Writing "Claire Bidwell Smith's
tender journey of love and loss will leave you feeling connected
and hopeful." --David Kessler, co-author of On Grief and
Grieving with Elisabeth Kubler Ross.
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |