Always a Sibling

The Forgotten Mourner's Guide to Grief

By: Annie Sklaver Orenstein

Narrated by: Annie Sklaver Orenstein

A practical, compassionate guide to sibling loss, with research, stories, and strategies for “forgotten mourners” as they move through the stages of grief towards finding meaning.​

After her brother was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, Annie Sklaver Orenstein was heartbroken and unmoored. Standing in the grief section of her local bookstore, she searched for guides on how to work through her grief as a mourning sibling—and found nothing. More than 4 million American adults each year will lose a sibling, yet there isn't a modern resource guide available that speaks directly to this type of grief that at times can be overshadowed by grieving parents and spouses and made even more difficult by the complexities of sibling dynamics.

In Always a Sibling, Annie uses her own story and those of others to create the empathic, thoughtful, practical resource that she sought. Divided into three sections: With, Without, and Within, it creates a framework that enables the listener to ground themselves in order to process and validate this often overlooked grief. Annie guides listeners to capture the memories and emotions of life with their now deceased sibling, then moves to addressing the grieving process in detail as they navigate life without them. Ultimately, listeners will find ways to experience their sibling's presence within themselves and acknowledge their legacy. With practical strategies rooted in proven grief processing techniques, trauma recovery, and psychoanalysis, Always A Sibling truly supports mourners through the unique experience of sibling loss.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Annie Sklaver Orenstein (P)2024 Hachette Go

Critic reviews

“I became a completely different person after my brother's death. My life is now divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ and I wish I'd had this book as a resource to guide me through that process. Through the exercises Annie outlines in her book, I know that other grieving siblings will be able to find the support and guidance they need.” —Stephanie Wittels Wachs, author of Everything is Horrible and Wonderful and host of The Last Day podcast

“Annie has internalized the research on sibling loss and delivered it with wit, grace and simplicity. She makes an impossible situation feel a little more manageable. I very much hope you do not need this book, but if you do, I am grateful that you now have it.” —Emily Oster, author of the bestselling titles, Expecting Better, Cribsheet and The Family Firm

"Bursts with provocative questions that feel at once familiar and entirely fresh, and the kind of vulnerable storytelling that makes me want to hug her and, in fact, everyone. Annie’s expertise as an ethnographer—as a professional empathy-generator—crackles on the page.” —Samara Bay, speech coach and author of Permission to Speak

Deeply emotional and beautifully eloquent

This is a deeply emotional, beautifully eloquent book. Reading it taught me so much, made me feel so much, and helped me gain so many new perspectives. I am immensely impressed by the way Annie uses her own experience, research, and compassion to help others.