Yet another course book, but rather than give up after reading the recommended amount (the first couple of chapters) I continued, and finished it within a few days as it really interested me.
'Life changes fast. Life changes in an instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.'
It is a book that falls under the creative non-fiction umbrella, that revolves around the author, detailing her experiences after her partner dies suddenly from a heart attack, and her daughter is taken seriously ill. Having never been through something so traumatic myself, it was something new for me to read about, and really gave me an insight into what a difficult situation it much be.
Despite the seemingly morbid subject matter, this wasn't a particularly depressing read, though I know some of the other members of my class seemed to think so. I personally found it to be incredibly raw and moving, as she literally strips down her life, evaluates her emotions and really pours her heart out, even though some of the actions that she resorts to for any normal person would appear to be embarrassing or pathetic. It is the distinct lack of 'putting on a brave face' that I enjoyed about this book, as after all, losing someone who you have lived and been with for over thirty years would completely change your life, and hiding all feelings away wouldn't help or change that.
Another feature of this book, is the frequent use of excerpts from medical textbooks, snippets of her partner's novels and quotes from famous poets and writers that she uses to reinforce her points, and give more definition or clarity to what she is talking about. I liked this aspect, as although at times it appeared to be almost essay-like, it showed the measures she went to to try and get an explanation for why this happened to her, and to achieve closure, which I think was relatable.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a relatively quick read that is poignant and leaves you thinking. Again, I'm sure this would depend on personal experience, but I can imagine it would be a comfort for anybody who has lost someone in their lives, to show that you can come out the other side, and anything that you do to help the grieving process is perfectly normal.
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