The Widower's Notebook

"A part of me needed to suffer. Suffering is painful and tangible, but something I could curl up with, and I did." ~Jonathan Santlofer, The Widower's Notebook: A Memoir

I listened to The Widower's Notebook which was beautifully narrated by the author, artist @janathansantlofer and enjoyed his honest telling of his grieving process after losing his wife of over 40 years. Though a couple chapters are difficult to stomach from a woman's perspective, most of it is interesting and illuminating, and shows that we can heal and grow after even the most painful, traumatic experiences. Though the book description cites the Jonathan's two-year inquiry into what exactly killed his wife, this is only a very small part of the story. Mostly it is a portrait of a man in mourning who learns how to be more present and authentic with his friends and family.

"Grief is chaotic; art is order.... Artists are perpetually engaged in the act of fixing their broken worlds. And this has been the case with me for most of my life, and now more so than ever."

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Paperback 272 pages @Penguinbooks; Audiobook 6 hours 52 minutes from @PRHaudio