Erik Medhus’s suicide at 20 left his family and friends devastated. But they soon learned that Erik, though no longer among them physically, was anything but gone. In her second book, My Life After Death: A Memoir from Heaven, Erik’s mother, Elisa Medhus, MD, learns what her son’s life “on the other side” is really like as they communicate through gifted medium Jamie Butler.

As their conversations continued over time, Dr. Medhus found answers to her questions about Erik’s well-being, and about the afterlife and its inhabitants. These conversations proved a solid help to many when they were made public through her blog, ChannelingErik.com, and in her first book, My Son and the Afterlife (2013).

My Life After Death continues Erik’s story, as the irrepressible, prank-loving, and compassionate “dead guy” takes up his new role as a spirit guide. Erik describes how reviewing his life brought him new understanding of the role he had played on earth, how each choice he’d made had affected others, the importance of being true to himself, and the value of gratitude. “Be grateful for everything in your life that’s valuable, and everything is,” Erik advises. Most importantly, he learned that there is no condemnation, even for those who commit suicide.

The heartfelt and often funny communication between Erik, Elisa, and Jamie offer a glimpse into the afterlife that will comfort, entertain, and astound. Their affirmation that the passage we call death is not the end but a new beginning that offers its own opportunities for learning, growth, and love offers solace for those who grieve, and awakens a bright expectation for what lies beyond.

—KRISTINE MORRIS