Planet Grief

The book opens with two forewords: Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies writes about working with Tait after losing her mother, and businesswoman Penny Power about grief being tied not only to death but to the loss of a home, a job, hope. This sets out the core thesis early: whenever you are adapting to change and feel unsettled or sad, you are grieving. The author's note adds an honest caveat: some stories are anonymised, others are composite case studies based on observation.

The introduction begins with a provocative question: if everyone you know and everything you experience had a «use-by date», would you treat them differently? Nearing 48, the author calculates that, by average UK life expectancy, she has about 33 years — 1,716 weeks — left. The sum is framed not to frighten but as a call to live more consciously. Tait's core idea: if we can let go of the fear of grief, we can also overcome the fear of loss and death.

Chapter 1 describes how we avoid talking about death: we work, travel, shop — until death lifts us off our feet «like a tornado» and drops us on an unfamiliar planet. The author explains that starting with discomfort is deliberate: if we learn to look at it in a safe space, it becomes bearable. With Farrah Storr's idea of the «discomfort zone», this forms the book's methodological foundation.

At the chapter's heart is the author's own story, and it is the strongest part of the book. On Christmas Eve 2011, Dipti — an only child who had lost her father twelve years earlier — lost her mother to liver cancer and, ten days later, the grandmother she was closest to, all while going through a divorce. Details such as her Indian family's disapproval of divorce and sitting motionless in her car for seven hours after the school run are raw and moving. She names this state «Orphan Grief».

The story descends to the darkest point of depression — suicidal thoughts. Tait describes learning not to fight these thoughts but to acknowledge them — «I see you, I hear you» — and to enter into an inner dialogue with them. It is sincere as personal testimony, but the author herself notes that the same approach may not suit everyone and that professional support matters; helpline listings are given at the end of the book.

The book's weakness is that its scientific explanations stay fairly shallow and the text sometimes slips into motivational and hypnotherapy language («the healing power of the subconscious», «superpowers»). The Turkish translation is fluent, with few scanning errors. Still, for a reader living with loss it is a warm, humane companion that makes you feel less alone.

• The author's own story, client stories and expert interviews alternate
• Open questions invite readers to reflect on their own lives
• The author is transparent that some stories are anonymised or composite
• Helpline and support listings appear at the end of the book