At the age of twenty-eight and pregnant with her first child, Jan Hatanaka suffered an unexpected stroke. Confronted with the reality of death for the first time in her life, she did not succumb to it, but rather chose to understand it. Now a therapist, Hatanaka uses seven stories from her casebook, as well as her own heartwrenching experience with recovery, to discuss the complex relationship between death, grief, and reconciliation. She takes the reader through the Grief Reconciliation Process, explaining the steps taken by people who manage to find life in the face of grief. Born out of the intensity of the author's personal experiences, The Natural Brilliance of the Soul is a simple, gentle, and ultimately profound exploration of the topic of death.