My sister Joy recommended this author to me. I've seen some of her books in the town library but have never taken any out. So I started with this one from about 5 years ago. It was very good. It's told in the first person.
STORY SUMMARY
Aaron is a middle-aged man whose older wife Dorothy, a doctor, (she's 8 years older) suddenly dies when a tree falls on their sun porch. Aaron is left to cope with the house and his grief.
Aaron is crippled in his right arm and leg and uses a cane for walking. He has an older sister Nandine, who is single, and is always trying to manage him. She's been that way since childhood. And now with Dorothy gone, he feels adrift. Dorothy was a solid, outspoken, independent woman and although they often had a difficult marriage, they loved each other deeply.
As Aaron begins to go through the grieving process, he begins to see Dorothy around Baltimore. They are always unexpected appearances and they help him to find peace in the moment.
As Aaron continues to go to work in the family publishing business, he also begins to discover that there is a way to say good-bye.
Will he ever really be happy again.....where will this grieving process take him?
MY THOUGHTS
This was an easy read and a short book. It's beautifully written and very moving.
The characters are believable and at first it is difficult to figure out just what era the author is setting the story in. It seems to be the present but it also has a hint of the long ago.....just descriptions of computers makes you realize it is set in modern times.
The book touches on grief, death, loss, and regaining a sense of control, a sense of life. It touches on the difficulty of saying good bye forever and moving on.
We learn a lot about Dorothy through her death and even more about Aaron as he grieves.
The author is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Literature which she won in 1988. I will definitely be looking for more of her novels.
One quote that jumped out at me is:
"My friend Luke told me once that he'd been considering my question about whether the dead ever visit. It was true that I asked him........"I've decided," he said, "that they don't visit. But I think if you knew them well enough, if you'd listened to them closely enough while they were still alive, you might be able to imagine what they would tell you even now. So the smart thing to do is, pay attention while they're living....." (pg 197, The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler, c.2012)
The ending is exquisite and just so wonderfully satisfying.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
1 comment:
This sounds very good, Faith. I'm going to look for it at the library.
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