Theme and Variations about Short Lives, Child Death, Parent Grief

This book is based on a musical form. The theme is the death of an infant, child, or young adult, and the effects of that death on parents and other family. Its variations are considerations of the experiences and observations of the author, the mother of three. Her two sons both died in car accidents separated by 23 years. Rather than publishing a journal or a lengthy description of her sons' lives, the author instead discusses generalizations, assumptions, and traditions regarding parenta...