Hats Off Books, Tucson, Az 2004

  Gail's newest book, "Becoming Single Again...Inner Journeys of Rebirth," will be available later this year through this website.


"To Hell and Back..Healing Your Way Through Transition" Purchase Book

To Hell and Back…Healing Your Way Through Transition guides baby boomers through four life-altering events: changing careers, motherhood, eldercare, and coping with death. The author uniquely blends lessons of her life with more than twelve years of research on the process of change.

The reader learns to understand that it is common—even healthy—to feel a wide range of emotions, from sadness and anger to peace and joy, when faced with major change. If we embrace these emotions instead of fear them, we can move through a life transition into a healthier way of being.

WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK:

“This is an honest book, very nicely produced in all respects, from the inspiring quotes at the start of each chapter to the fine editing. The author’s voice is a friendly one and the material is very personal in a way that invites readers into the book as well as counsels. Many, many people are interested in handling difficult life situations in a manner that maintains them upright, rather than submerging them. This format with its practical and down to earth advice will keep any reader interested in self-help intrigued so that he or she can benefit from the message the author intends. Anyone who sticks with the book and follows its instructions will certainly end up with improvements to his or her ability to get on with life.

The exercises/instructions are excellent ones as many of those committed to following a self-improvement path would like to know how to proceed. Numerous actions and activities are mentioned here, which give the reader a nice selection.
The author worked very hard to provide to a full experience for readers with this book. Her self-revelations about the areas/moments of her life that have proved difficult will help others related to what she says and will build a bond between author and reader.”--Writer’s Digest, April 15, 2004
* * * * *
“Gail Kauranen Jones teaches us through her generous and soulful example, that a meaningful life, one lived with purpose and passion, is above all an inner, ongoing journey, available to all.”
--Cliff Hakim, career and executive coach, author of We Are All Self-Employed.
* * * * *
“Gail Kauranen Jones accurately describes in To Hell and Back…Healing Your Way Through Transition the deeply psychological and spiritual process of change. As a result, she teaches the reader that it is the gradual inner shifts—not external circumstances—that lead to greater peace of mind and fulfillment.”
--Dijana Winter, M.Ed., psychotherapist, life coach and author of Infinite Self, Infinite Now...A Journey Into Peace, Power & Freedom
Top

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK ON AMAZON AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM:
(Five Star Ratings on following five reviews):
* * * * *

“JOURNEY INTO FREEDOM…Gail Jones takes the reader on a journey through four major transitions in her life: finding vocation, motherhood, eldercare, and the death of her father. The book’s title, To Hell and Back, is apt: Jones has been there: the raw emotions of her responses to these life changes permeate her story. She invites the reader to stand with her in pain, despair, loneliness, and rage. Jones isn’t afraid to touch these tender places in courage and honesty. In bringing a light into her own darkness, she shines a beacon for others to follow.

But as she gives voice to the hurt, she also chooses freedom. The richness of the book lies in her story of her self-understanding, empowerment, and self-love; her road back is the path to heaven. Transition is a deeply personal and unique experience that offers the opportunity to unfold into wholeness. Jones honors grief as a transformative energy and shows the reader how to take time to grieve and to let go, to face emptiness and uncertainty with strength and make a new life from nothing but the creative power of love.

While Jones advocates reflection and diving deep into the psyche to process transition, she also warns against isolation and offers helpful advice for building support through community for the journey. While intensely reflective, the book is also richly pro-active and offers helpful advice throughout for creatively dealing with change.

To men: while the book is about a woman’s experience, her journey is essentially human and crosses gender boundaries. There is something magical about the disclosure of the feminine that also illuminates the masculine. Read this book as a guide for help with your own transition and for supporting the life changes of the women in your life.”
--Bob Rand (Cheverly, MD), July 5, 2004
 
Top
* * * * *
“A must read…To Hell and Back is a must read of any adult in transition. As a financial advisor working with clients enduring and planning for career changes, retirements, births and deaths, I see true value in Gail’s insights. Most importantly, this book helps us understand transition as a process and evolution that is in many ways inevitable. In a rapidly changing world, we must learn to embrace change and understand our feelings and role in the process of change. To Hell and Back is the textbook for achieving this necessary understanding and the fulfilling life and happiness that is the direct result of building a well-balanced career and family life.”
--A reader (US), January 18, 2004
* * * * *
“What an incredible journey shared in this book…For anyone going through change, this book is extremely valuable in sharing the doubts, agony, and bliss of the experience. This book is a guide to transition, offering suggestions on how to keep the process going and make it to the other side. The honesty in this book is remarkable and will help anyone allowing themselves to be vulnerable, to relate to their own experience and look towards the future.”
--bailywcyck, December 8, 2003
* * * * *
“Having just completed Gail Jones’ To Hell and Back I would like to say how much this book touched me. She took me on an emotional roller coaster. Gail is able to write in a manner that makes you really think about your life and the decisions that we all must make. By her sharing the intimate details in her life, she encourages you to move forward with change, being careful to share with you how to do so in a gentle way. Through her experiences, we all benefit. Some passages I was able to read through shaking my head in agreement; other passages brought me to tears. We are very fortunate to have this insight available for us to use in our lives. Thank you, Gail.”
--a reader, December 10, 2003
* * * * *
“A Candid Gift of Life Transitions…To Hell and Back by Gail Kauranen Jones is insightful, authentic and a teaching tool that helps individuals facing their own life transitions. Gail’s journey through her own transitions affect us all; the chapter titles are easy-to-relate to as she shares her own experiences with us: Changing Careers, Becoming a Mother, Parenting the Parents and Coping with Death. I look forward to her sequel on relationships, and parenting pre-teens. I loved the introductory quotes from leading authors in the field of transitions and the ‘how to tips’ that are highlighted throughout the text. A well-written, easy-to-read format also enhances Gail’s ultimate ‘gift’ to reach out and share her most intimate feelings with you. Her candidness and open invitation to her evolving world makes you want to read more of her ongoing life transitions.”
--Wendy Frank Higgins (Topsfield, MA), December 10, 2003

Top