nglofile's review against another edition
4.0
Quite possibly one of the best books I've read on the topic of grief and aftermath.
Though the details of my experience have little in common with the author's, nonetheless I felt welcomed and seen. Spencer's voice conveys warmth, wisdom, self-deprecating wit, and occasional silliness. For most of us, the last might not be what we think we need in this, but the lighter moments leaven the serious ones, and that technique stands the sincere commiseration as all the more assured and affirming. I was genuinely surprised by the author's ability to make me giggle, take my hand, nod my head, and lead me to look at experiences with a more forgiving (of both self and others) frame.
This is a book that meant a great deal upon first reading, and I imagine it will have near-equal impact when I return to passages, which I will undoubtedly do.
Though the details of my experience have little in common with the author's, nonetheless I felt welcomed and seen. Spencer's voice conveys warmth, wisdom, self-deprecating wit, and occasional silliness. For most of us, the last might not be what we think we need in this, but the lighter moments leaven the serious ones, and that technique stands the sincere commiseration as all the more assured and affirming. I was genuinely surprised by the author's ability to make me giggle, take my hand, nod my head, and lead me to look at experiences with a more forgiving (of both self and others) frame.
This is a book that meant a great deal upon first reading, and I imagine it will have near-equal impact when I return to passages, which I will undoubtedly do.
bennse2's review against another edition
Too different from my experience of my mom’s death
jennycz's review against another edition
3.0
Some parts of this resonated (crying during the savasana part of yoga class! being angry at everything!), some parts definitely did not (going to see a psychic, seeing my mom in small animals and bugs), but the particulars of grief are as idiosyncratic and personal as the generals of it are universal, I guess. A quick and not-too-triggering read, at least for me, being almost 6 years out from first membership in The Club.
templetonreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
ashleigh_lassiter's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
I reached for this book because Kate and I share similar experiences, and I often wondered if I was reading my own diary entries. When your mom dies, it feels like such an isolated incident, like no one else has suffered her mother’s death before. Kate makes you feel seen and heard without offering any sort of platitudes that always feel disingenuous because she knows nothing she says will bring our moms back. What she offers instead is a space to sit with our grief in the loneliest club on the planet.
janiedaze's review against another edition
5.0
I lost my mom January 1st 2017.....after a very short, horrific battle with cancer....and this book...is the closet thing I have ever read that honestly captures exactly what we went through. With her warm stories to her heartbreak...Kate truly gives you a glimpse into what it’s like.
I cannot thank her enough for writing this. Tonight I will sleep with a little more ease.
I cannot thank her enough for writing this. Tonight I will sleep with a little more ease.
anngarth8's review against another edition
5.0
I've read quite a few grief memoirs at this point, and out of all of them, this one spoke to me the most. I copied large portions into my Notes app, and I'm grateful for the way this book made me feel seen and reflected back my own grief in a form I recognize.