Alexandria, VA – Review: Grief Garden Stories, Vol. 1 and 2
Publisher: Naked Grief LLC
Author: Karen Bulinski Mathison
Reviewed by: Ralph Peluso, Literary Editor
Zebra Rating–5 Stripes
Sometime during our lives, most of us will face the loss of someone close, very close. The core emotional pain, shock, and grief after losing a loved one are the same for everyone, regardless of religious beliefs or lack thereof. While religion offers a comforting framework for afterlife reunions, the intense pain of loss and psychological impact are not theology-dependent, as the deep impact of loss is universally shared by humanity. Author Karen Bulinski Mathison stated in a recent interview, “Grief doesn’t care about your theology. Not believing in an afterlife doesn’t change how we feel when someone leaves our lives—the numbness, shock, and anger are just as real.”
Traditionally, grief support focuses on the death of loved ones. There are other traumatic losses: divorces, family pets, jobs, friendships, and estrangements. Often these losses are less acknowledged, leaving individuals isolated, lacking a support network, and regularly fearful. Tackling grief after loss, already a deeply personal topic, is very tough. Mathison smartly uses animals in her Grief Garden book series in a way that makes such overwhelming emotions digestible. When asked about this approach, Mathison responded, “I wanted to create a solid place to land for grief that wasn’t heavy or clinical.” In Volume 1, the author chose garden characters: a ladybug for Hope, Love portrayed as a dragonfly, and Faith as a butterfly. In Volume 2, Promise, Soar, and Fortitude are depicted as eagles. After the sudden loss of Soar, Promise and Fortitude must navigate their healing journey. Mathison’s approach enables readers to absorb the “raw” emotions like shock and anger through these safe and honest stories.
Mathison, in her works, enforces that every healing journey is personal and often messy. There is no template for what or how we feel or what we question. It is okay to feel angry or guilty. Mathison says naming the feeling, like Faith or Hope, helps kick-start the healing process. Recognition and acceptance of the physical and emotional impact of sudden loss, as seen through Promise and Fortitude, are vital to healing. With loss, life changes, and it’s okay to change, or even forget traditions that hurt. Grief is raw and real, but you don’t have to carry it in silence. It’s okay to feel anger and denial. After any loss, there’s plenty to process, regardless of age or stage in life. Grief is different for everyone, and that’s fine. You can still laugh, cry, and remember, even all at the same time. Healing doesn’t mean you are forgetting someone; they’re still in your life, just in a different way.
Karen Bulinski Mathison, widowed young, is a grief coach, death doula, author, and survivor of multiple losses. She holds a Master’s in Mental Health & Wellness with an emphasis in Grief & Bereavement; a postgraduate coaching certificate; and more certifications than I can fit in this column. She founded The Naked Grief, a coaching-based grief support community. Her first book, “Remember When,” was written before she entered the death-care industry.
Mathison writes from her heart, “I know what it feels like when the ground disappears. And I know what it feels like when nobody takes your grief seriously — because it wasn’t the right kind of loss.” Her short stories use creative and clever anthropomorphism to frame difficult feelings and initiate one’s healing journey. The Grief Garden series is designed to aid all dealing with personal loss. Zebra rating: 5 Stripes.
Elaine’s Literary Salon June 2026
6/3, Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., QuinTango (The Stories Tango Tells)
6/4, Thursday, 6-9 p.m., Kerri Hagerty (The Adventures of Olive)
6/5, Friday, 6-9 p.m., Noir at the Bar (8 Authors Read their Stories)
6/6, Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., ShortCon (Premier Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction), *Ticketed event
6/10, Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., Dr. Stephen Cook (Daniel)
6/18, Thursday, 6-9 p.m., A.R. Milton (Augmented Reality)
6/24, Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., Sisters-in-Crime Chessie Chapter Happy Hour
6/25, Thursday, 6-9 p.m., Friends to Lovers Happy Hour
