Assessing memoirs can be tricky—who am I to grade someone’s lived experiences? I’m going to do my best from commenting on Waite’s content and focus more on the writing and structure of the book.

I think that the real crux of the book is that it’s really two different books held together by a theme; the passing of her husband. While the first roughly 50% of the book is a narrative memoir, blunt and lively in the way it portrays complicated grief, the second half of the book is more of a discussion of her introduction to spirituality and attempting to connect with him. The contrast between the tone and content of these two segments is stark.

I really found myself engaged with the author in the first half. The book seemed very intimate, with the author being quite candid about the at times regrettable ways she processed her loss. I have a sense that writing this was quite cathartic for the author, and I really hope that this brought her some peace or at least some closure.

The second half of the book very much fell flat. The tone of the writing changed quite a bit, and the narrative element of the story seemed to somewhat fall away. Instead, it turned into a series of scenes looking for signs and connections with her husband who she apparently believes is sending her messages.

I think for a certain reader, especially one that experienced complicated grief over the death of a partner, this could generate a sense of kinship. I don’t think I’m necessarily the perfect audience for this work to appreciate it fully.

3/5 stars, but genuinely closer to 2.5.