An Obesity of Grief: A Journey from Traumatic Loss to Undying Love
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop! Or get your own signed copy by emailing me at: lynn.haraldson@gmail.com
AN OBESITY OF GRIEF is the story of a young woman’s twenty-four year quest for healing and answers following the death of her husband.
Nineteen years old with an eleven-day old baby, Lynn Haraldson’s world was shattered when her husband was killed in a tractor-train collision. She spent years denying the trauma of his violent death, and clung to the myth that there were linear, systemic stages of grief, and that one day, time would heal her pain.
Denial informed many of the decisions she made, including an unplanned pregnancy and staying in an abusive relationship. After two failed marriages, and gaining and losing more than one-hundred pounds—twice—a health scare forced her to confront her grief. Through therapy—and in an unexpected encounter with a train at the same tracks where her husband died—Lynn found the peace and healing she sought for more than twenty years, and regained her sense of belonging and self-worth.
Click here to read the review on “Writing Near the Lake.”
The Reviews are In!
“Lynn Haraldson’s An Obesity of Grief is a deeply moving, emotional and honest memoir—a story of survival. After losing her young husband in a horrific train accident, leaving her with their weeks-old newborn, Lynn was almost consumed by her grief. In the years that followed, she overcame trauma, faced anxiety and depression head on, developed a healthy relationship with food and her body, and ultimately found peace and happiness. Lynn’s courage and strength are inspirational, and her story illustrates that even through unimaginable pain, you can still find beauty and purpose.” Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN, Nutrition Expert for NBC’s Today Show
“After the death of her husband, a question circles and coils within author Lynn Haraldson for more than two decades: how did he not hear the train? It is a question that twists and constricts, creating heavy layers of complex grief enough to weigh down a life. But An Obesity of Grief is a radiant release. Here, the search for a long-lost answer leads her to the intersection where her young husband died and to a deeper understanding than she could have ever imagined—one that allows her to forgive him for dying and forgive herself for doubt. I will love you, again, says the poem by Ellen Bass, from which the author borrowed her luminous memoir’s title. This is a story that anyone who has known long-term grief will hold tight to their heart. It is a story of learning to love ourselves in grief. And it is the story of how love lost too soon can still grow old alongside us, even as we move on.” Diane Zinna, author of The All-Night Sun and Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss
“Lynn Haraldson doesn’t pull any punches on the realities of grief and trauma in this fast-paced, insightful memoir. Her account of helping her then-teenage daughter come to know her deceased father, many years after he died, is especially poignant, and offers hope to widowed parents that it’s never too late to support our kids through their losses, even as we deal with our own.” Jenny Lisk, author of Future Widow and host of the Widowed Parent Podcast
“After an unimaginable loss at nineteen, Lynn Haraldson captures the all-encompassing nature of loss and love over a lifetime in her beautiful memoir. I found myself alternatively weeping and cheering as Lynn unravels the layers of her grief with unflinching honesty, poignant detail and growing self-compassion. Her boundless courage and willingness to embrace the messiness of grief is a hopeful and triumphant tale.” Shauna Reid, author of The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl
“Lynn Haraldson’s memoir, An Obesity of Grief, is a guide to navigating grief and the trauma that often accompanies it. Her book is approachable and easily relatable for anyone on their own passage to healing. Through a compelling story, she provides an honest and heartfelt look into her own grieving process and how a traumatic loss in early adulthood impacted her ability to cope and move on with her life. Not only can her story validate the experiences of those who suffer loss and trauma, but she also shares her method of overcoming and healing. She chronicles in detail her experiences (both positive and negative) with medication; practicing mindfulness, including meditation; seeing various mental health practitioners; and ultimately, what works to help her get to a place of acceptance and healing. As a yoga teacher and mental health therapist, I am in love with this inspiring journey Lynn goes through!” Allison Steinwand, MS, LPC, QMHP, PMH-C, RYT-500, Archway Counseling & Wellness LLC
“(Lynn) inspired me with her hard-won lessons about herself, about grief, and about love. Grief counselors will find this book to be a healing companion for their patients, regardless of where they are in their grief journey.” Elizabeth H. Cottrell, author of HEARTSPOKEN, How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire
“Haraldson’s clear prose allows us an intimate portrait of deep sadness and moments of illumination. An Obesity of Grief is a must-read for anyone navigating early loss and those who support them.” Casey Mulligan Walsh, Grief Essayist, Best of the Net Nominee
“Lynn’s Haraldson’s heart-wrenching story is one that so many of us fear: losing our spouse after just having a newborn baby. In her memoir, An Obesity of Grief, Lynn details her struggle in learning to support a new life that’s just beginning while also grieving a life that ended tragically and abruptly. Her journey reminds us how precious life is, and how, at any moment our world can be shattered. The hardships and trials that Lynn faced as a result of her grief are undeniable, and yet her ability to overcome, find her strength and rise once again is an inspiration for all of us. She is a force and a guide for all of us who are slowly making our way through grief and loss.” Nesreen Ahmed, MS, PCC, CPQC, Founder and CEO, Harbor Light Coaching, LLC
Read a review of An Obesity of Grief at Mark Liebenow’s blog, Grief.
Lynn Haraldson, Author and Writing Mentor 