Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions. In the preface to this edition, Rabbi Kushner relates the heartwarming responses he has received over the years from people who have found inspiration and comfort within these pages.

When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant the boy would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. In these pages, Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.