Talking to the Dead
by Bonnie Grove

List Price: $14.99
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781434766410
Publisher: David C. Cook

Twenty-something Kate Davis can't seem to get this grieving widow thing right. She's supposed to put on a brave face and get on with her life, right? Instead she's camped out on her living room floor, unwashed, unkempt, and unable to sleep-because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her. Is she losing her mind?

Kate's attempts to find the source of the voice she hears are both humorous and humiliating, as she turns first to an "eclectically spiritual" counselor, then a shrink with a bad toupee, a mean-spirited exorcist, and finally group therapy. There she meets Jack, the warmhearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church, and at last the voice subsides. But when she stumbles upon a secret Kevin was keeping, Kate's fragile hold on the present threatens to implode under the weight of the past . and Kevin begins to shout.

Will the voice ever stop? Kate must confront her grief to find the grace to go on, in this tender, quirky story about second chances.

Click here to watch a trailer for Talking to the Dead.

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1. Friendship. Maggie thrust hers onto Kate, Heather forged an inappropriate one. Kate offers her friendship to Sakeena. Examine the role friendship played in Kate’s unfolding drama.

2. Loss. Loss comes in many forms in Kate’s story. There are the obvious losses brought by death, but there are many more. Examine the levels of loss Kate experienced.

3. Mental health. Kate’s grief and guilt expressed itself in many different ways. Examine the evidence that suggests Kate was mentally ill, and the evidence that suggests she was mentally healthy.

4. Love. Kate’s understanding of love changes throughout the book. Love is expressed and rebuffed and rejoiced in at different times. Examine the different kinds of love in the book.

5. Humor. Even in the throes of her sorrow and grief, Kate experienced moments of quirkiness, of lightness, and even humor. How was this accomplished in the book?

6. Therapy. Kate underwent several types of therapy. How did each help her? In what ways did they fail to help her?

7. Faith. Kate wrestles with God. Jack ’s faith inspires her, and The Reverend’s faith frightens her. Explore Kate’s journey toward faith --- it’s small but important beginnings, to the end of the book. What do you think about Kate’s faith experience?

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