Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People  By  cover art

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

By: Harold S. Kushner
Narrated by: Harold S. Kushner
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $5.85

Buy for $5.85

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

As a young theology student, Harold Kushner puzzled over the Book of Job. As a small-town rabbi he counseled other people through pain and grief. But not until he learned that his three-year-old son, Aaron, would die in his early teens of a rare disease did he confront one of life's most difficult questions: Where do we find the resources to cope when tragedy strikes?

"I knew that one day I would write this book," says Rabbi Kushner. "I would write it out of my own need to put into words some of the most important things I have come to believe and know. And I would write it to help other people who might one day find themselves in a similar predicament. I am fundamentally a religious man who has been hurt by life, and I wanted to write a book that could be given to the person who has been hurt by life, and who knows in his heart that if there is justice in the world, he deserved better. . . . If you are such a person, if you want to believe in God's goodness and fairness but find it hard because of the things that have happened to you and to people you care about, and if this book helps you do that, then I will have succeeded in distilling some blessing out of Aaron's pain and tears."

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

©1981 Harold S. Kushner (P)1987 Random House Inc., Random House AudioBooks, a Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

“Whether religious or not, this book will speak because it touches–profoundly, but simply–on questions no parent and no person can avoid.” —Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School

When Bad Things Happen to Good People offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms.” —Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“This is a book all humanity needs. It will help you understand the painful vicissitudes of this life and enable you to stand up to them creatively.” —Norman Vincent Peale

What listeners say about When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    101
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    73
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

I was very moved by this book. It gave me such comfort to know that I am not alone. The Rabbi gives his views on strength which has given me much more. In these troubling times, it is good to know that such a book exists.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • J
  • 05-14-12

Excellent & very helpful

This audiobook was very helpful to me during a terminal illness of a loved one. It helped me understand "why"...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Very comforting!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I needed this!

This says so much to me. I did not expect this to speak to me as deeply as it has. I am a Hebrew who has suffered some really big losses this year. And this spoke to me on a level that I didn't know I needed. I'm grateful to the author for what they were able to find in the midst of their pain to give to those like me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So touched

I read this because it is a suggested book for my home bound ministry. I am so touched by this book especially with the shooting in Las Vegas and what is happening this in this world.
Thank you Rabii Kushner

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved listening to the audible version of this popular book.

Very helpful read when going through crises with children and loved ones. Touching and well said by the author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Comfort Food for The Soul - Highly recommend

Read book a few times over the years, and the audio a few times since purchase. The perspective from this book is comforting and with each read I find different wisdom based on what injustice I witness or experience in this world and feel my faith slipping away. God is alive and powered by our faith in Him. This isn't just for the religious type of person. I will keep this book in my shelf probably for the rest of my years because it is a keeper.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very insightful and inspirational...

Rabbi kushner's examples and story are very moving and easy to understand. I am able to apply his insights to my daily life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb analysis of faith and grief.

He puts suffering and faith in the context of a God made universe where there are only probabilities and the self transformation that is possible from faith when you accept life”s absurdities, accept grief and gain strength from critical thinking, courage to embrace life and aligning your concerns with God’s spirit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

this is a religious book

this book is not what I expected. it is a religious book describing God and tragedy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!