The Book

After her mother was killed in a crosswalk, having been hit by a driver who ran a red light, Lori Koidahl questioned, Why me? Furthermore, she wondered, How could another family member have been killed in a car crash? Before she was born, Lori’s father died when he fell asleep at the wheel, and when she was thirteen her uncle was killed by a distracted driver.

In Garden of Grief, Koidahl offers readers a look into her busy life as a mom and how losing her own mother and becoming a midlife orphan became a catalyst for rebirth and navigating the world in a new way. She chose to feel, and to honor her grief in a way that made sense to her. In turn, this offered her a peace she couldn’t have imagined and didn’t know she needed.

In this beautiful tribute to her mother, Koidahl encourages and supports others in their journeys through loss by sharing her own evolution of love, loss, and self-discovery during the most vulnerable time in her life.