For anyone who has ever loved an animal, losing that companion can leave a silence that feels impossible to explain. A favorite sleeping spot remains empty. A familiar sound is missing from the house. Daily routines continue, but something essential has changed.
In Those We Meet at the Rainbow Bridge, author Susan Jaunsen explores that grief through a deeply personal collection of memories, rescue stories, spiritual reflections, poetry and imagined reunions. At its heart, the book asks a tender question: Do the animals we love remain connected to us after they are gone?
Jaunsen builds her story around the comforting idea of the Rainbow Bridge, a place where animals are restored to health, freed from pain and reunited with those who cared for them. Yet her vision goes beyond a simple promise of reunion. The Bridge becomes a place of discovery, where love, responsibility, memory and unfinished bonds are examined in powerful ways.
Throughout the book, readers meet an unforgettable group of animals. Beatrice and Bonnie, two Netherland Dwarf rabbits, are rescued after being left outside in a glass enclosure during heavy rain. Their story reflects one of the book’s strongest messages: compassion means stepping forward when others look away.
The author also recounts the careful relocation of honey bee colonies, presenting the bees not as pests, but as highly organized communities worthy of protection. Clarence, a neglected cockatoo confined in a dark laundry room, becomes a symbol of both suffering and the possibility of healing. Jaunsen imagines him recovering in a sanctuary, rediscovering companionship, play, light and freedom.
Cats occupy a particularly meaningful place in the book. Siam, Smokey, Mischief, Little Boy, Shadow, Chloe, Oliver and many others appear through stories of rescue, veterinary care, trust, loss and second chances. These animals are not presented as background figures. Each has a personality, history and emotional influence.
The deepest bond, however, is between the author and Willow, her beloved grey-and-white cat. Willow is described as a best friend, constant companion and source of comfort. He stayed close when she was unwell, greeted her when she returned home, rested beside her and quietly supported her through everyday life.
After Willow’s death, his absence becomes the emotional center of the story. During a near-death experience following a car accident, Jaunsen finds herself at the Rainbow Bridge, surrounded by animals she once loved and helped. The reunion is joyful, but one important companion is missing.
“Where is Willow?”
That question drives the final chapters and reveals the book’s central belief: some bonds are so powerful that they may continue beyond the limits of the physical world. In the story, Willow remains close until the author is ready to release him and trust that separation does not erase love.
Those We Meet at the Rainbow Bridge is both a tribute to cherished animals and a call for greater compassion toward vulnerable creatures. It acknowledges the pain of pet loss without allowing grief to have the final word.
Susan Jaunsen’s book offers readers a hopeful possibility: the animals who changed our lives may not be lost. They may simply be waiting ahead, carrying our love with them until we meet again.
