The Group

On a mid-October evening, a group of fathers gathered around a conference table and met each other for the first time. None of the men had ever thought of himself a "support group kind of guy" and each felt entirely out of place. In fact, nothing about their lives felt normal anymore. The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life chronicles the challenges and triumphs of seven men whose wives died from cancer and were left to raise their young children entirely on their own. Brought together by tragedy, the fathers - Neill, Dan, Bruce, Karl, Joe, Steve, and Russ - forged an uncommon bond. Over time, group meetings evolved into a forum for reinvention and transformed the men in unexpected ways. Through the fathers' poignant interactions, The Group illustrates that while some wounds never fully heal, each of us has the potential to construct a new and meaningful future. Rosenstein and Yopp, co-leaders of the support group, weave together the fathers' stories with contemporary research on grief and adaptation. The Group traces a compelling journey of healing and personal discovery that no book has ever captured before. The men's touching efforts to care for their families, grieve for their wives, and reimagine their futures will inspire anyone who has suffered a major loss.

Donald L. Rosenstein, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is Director of the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program and Division Head of General Adult Psychiatry. He is the former Clinical Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Past-President of both the Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. Justin M. Yopp, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he serves as Program Director of Psycho-Oncology for the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program. Together, the authors are the creators of the Single Fathers Due to Cancer Program.

Part I: Unimaginable Loss Chapter 1: Neill's Dilemma Chapter 2: The First Meeting Chapter 3: Beyond Death and Dying Chapter 4: Going It Alone Chapter 5: The Wrong Parent Died Chapter 6: "Of Course I'm Depressed, but Do I Have Depression?" Chapter 7: Band of Brothers Part II: Adaptation Chapter 8: The Good Enough Father Chapter 9: A Child's Grief Chapter 10: The Ring Thing Chapter 11: Last in Line Chapter 12: Dating 2.0 Part III: Reimagined Lives Chapter 13: Future Trajectories Chapter 14: The Meaning of Life Chapter 15: Posttraumatic Growth Chapter 16: An Unexpected Partnership Chapter 17: Hard-Earned Wisdom Chapter 18: Winding Down Epilogue Acknowledgments Bibliography Index