By Geraldine Brooks
A MEMOIR
Savored Every Page
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have read and loved Geraldine Brooks's books and have long considered her my favorite author. Her newest book was different; it was personal. Brook's life changed suddenly when her husband of thirty-five years died suddenly on Washington D.C. Street. She thoughtfully shared with us the wisdom she gained through her experience of Tony Horwitz's death and her journey to grieve him properly.
Brooks’ writing is stellar. I loved the way she told the story, alternating between two timelines. First, she tells us the story of Tony’s death, starting with that fateful day when she received that horrendous phone call that none of us ever want to receive. Her call came on Memorial Day 2019.
Secondly, she shared her journey three years later to a shack on Flinders Island in West Tisbury, Australia. This is where she began her own Memorial Day journey. A journey where she desired to “…do the unfinished work of grieving.” She said, "I haven't honored Tony enough because I have not permitted myself the time and space for a grief deep enough to reflect our love." It’s a place where she finally doesn’t have to pretend that everything is okay. I was captivated by this concept. What a fabulous tribute to a lost loved one.
I also related to her advice of capturing in a document everything you and your partner will need to know to keep the household afloat if something happens to either of you. Brooks puts her heart and soul into this book, and I am sure many will find it as touching and informative as I did. Love it!
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher Penguin Group Viking
Published February 4. 2025
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
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