I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I am not a widow nor am I experiencing recent grief. I was worried that there wouldn't be anything relevant to me in these pages. I couldn't have been more wrong. While this book definitely deals with the challenges of working through grief, it is about much more than that. When Becky Aikman lost her husband to cancer in her late forties, she searched for a support group to help her through her grief. She quickly found, however, that most of these groups were filled with elderly women wallowing in grief. There were no kindred spirits to be found. A year later, Aikman decided to try an experiment. After putting the word out that she was looking for young widows, she managed to gather together a small group of women for a unique grief/recovery project. They would meet once a month on a Saturday night for one year not only to support one another but also to get out there and try new things together. This group of women, seemingly connected only be their shared grief experience, begins to try out everything from cooking classes to a personalized tour of the Met. In doing so, they not only find ways to move forward but they make some surprising new friendships as well.
I loved reading about these women! I loved how different their experiences were and how they each brought something special and unique to the table. My one complaint is that they were all beautiful and thin and well-off. It certainly makes it easier to move forward when you hold some if not all of those traits. The book become much more for me than witnessing a group of women overcomiing their grief. For me, it was much more about how powerful it can be when women support one another. This club created a real sisterhood...if only for a short time.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended! This would be a GREAT book club book for all-female book clubs. I think women who enjoyed EAT PRAY LOVE would find much to enjoy here.
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