A Letter of Consolation

Henri J.M. Nouwen was a world-renowned spiritual guide, counselor, and bestselling author of over forty books that many today consider spiritual classics. He taught at the universities of Harvard, Yale, and Notre Dame before becoming the senior pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto, Canada, a community where men and women with intellectual disabilities and their assistants create a home for one another.

“An essay in the form of a long letter to [Nouwen’s] father after the death of his mother. One might well pass it on to anyone who is going through a period of grief after loss.” — Christian Century

“Recognized for the depth and warmth of his spiritual communication, Father Nouwen grapples with death, a particular death--his mother’s...An intelligent, loving letter to a Christian facing a powerful enemy, death.” — Lutheran Libraries

“On the long road it’s good to have Nouwen and his diving rod. Deftly he bends toward the drop of spiritual wisdom caked in the most ordinary things.” — Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author of Dead Man Walking