The Year of Magical Thinking
August 31, 2015
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
"Grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it." I found Joan Didion's story of the year after her husband's death to be a powerful discussion of grief. Many of her experiences I could identify as having been part of my own experiences of grief. Yet, because she is such a gifted writer she can capture the experience in articulate detail.
I was also impressed by the thorough research she did into the medical and psychological issues involved. This information is presented throughout the book, but always embedded within a story.
Yes, there is an elitism to the story because of who she is, but I think the universality of the experience makes the book accessible. I will be referring grieving congregants to this book.
View all my reviews
There is a story about her in the New Yorker magazine dated Aug. 24, 2015
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/24/out-of-bethlehem
Posted by: James Nimmo | August 31, 2015 at 07:22 PM