Book 2 in the Pet Loss Support Series
The First Year Without You
A month-by-month companion through the first year of pet loss.
From the first days to the first anniversary: the empty routines, returning to work, photographs and belongings, the questions about what happened, difficult dates, and other people returning to their lives. Twelve months you can read in order or open at the month you are in.
Paperback and hardcover on Amazon, available worldwide.
Why this book exists
You are holding this book because someone is missing
Not someone the world always knows how to grieve. But someone who was there every morning. Someone who knew the sound of your car, the rhythm of your footsteps, the particular weight of your sadness on hard days.
Someone who loved you in a way that never required you to be anything other than exactly who you are.
This book walks beside you through the first year after losing a pet. Not around your grief, but directly into it.
What is inside
A companion for every stage of the first year
The chapters follow the year as it happens, from the first night to the first anniversary. You can read them in order or go straight to where you are.
- 01Part One. The First Absence (Months One to Three)Living through the first absence, when other people move on, remembering the whole life.
- 02Part Two. The Questions That Stay (Months Four to Six)Guilt, regret and unanswered questions; the routines that disappeared; the halfway point.
- 03Part Three. Life Around the Loss (Months Seven to Nine)Making room for life again, the question of another pet, continuing bonds your way.
- 04Part Four. The Turn of the Year (Months Ten to Twelve)When the season begins to remember, choosing how to meet the anniversary, a full year, not a finish line.
- Also insideA Monthly Practice and A Page for a Hard Day in every month, a first-year route map, a section for the people around you, Memory Pages and a Writing Page Directory.
Is this the right book?
This book is for you if
- You have recently lost a pet and the grief feels bigger than anyone around you understands.
- You are weeks or months in and wondering why it still hurts this much.
- You are approaching a birthday, anniversary, or holiday without them and dreading it.
- You are carrying guilt about decisions you made or things you wish you had done differently.
- You want someone to tell you that what you are feeling is normal, without rushing you to feel better.
- You love someone who is grieving a pet and want to understand what they are going through.
Before you buy
Common questions
My pet died months ago. Is it too late to start this book?
No. You can start wherever you are. The chapters are organised by time period but you do not have to read them in order. Many readers find the book helpful even well beyond the first year.
Is this a workbook with exercises or a book I read?
Both. It is mainly a reading companion, month by month. Each month also has a Monthly Practice and A Page for a Hard Day, with guided writing pages you can use or skip. At the back are Memory Pages for the stories you want to keep and a directory of every writing page.
How is this different from the Guilt and Grief Workbook?
The First Year Without You follows the timeline of your grief month by month. The Guilt and Grief Workbook focuses specifically on guilt, what-ifs and self-blame, with structured writing exercises.
Is this book only for people who have lost a dog or cat?
No. This book is for anyone grieving the loss of a beloved pet, regardless of species. The love and grief are the same.
Can I buy this as a gift for someone who is grieving?
Yes. The book includes a dedicated section called "For Those Who Love Someone Grieving" which makes it a thoughtful and practical gift for anyone supporting a grieving pet parent.
You do not have to carry it alone
Whether your loss was yesterday or months ago, you can start at the month you are in. The months are not stages and they are not a timetable.
Paperback and hardcover on Amazon, available worldwide.