This book explores how to deal with the trauma of a broken heart, the shattering experience when a romantic relationship ends. For many, the destructive and obsessive nature of a broken heart comes as a complete surprise. You feel physically shattered in the middle of your chest. Your body is overwhelmed by discomfort, heaviness, or an odd lightness, as if something has burned away and drifted into the air like ash.

A broken heart especially makes your mind spin out of control. You focus on particular thoughts or events, tormenting yourself with unanswered questions like "What if?" and "How could this happen?" You become vulnerable to sudden waves of grief that overwhelm you without warning, even during sleep. It becomes difficult to rely on yourself to make it through a work meeting or a supermarket line without being overcome by tears.