Review of About Alice by Calvin Trillin

(In 3 weeks I read seven books in preparation to write the Analysis of the Competition section for the book proposal for my co-authored nonfiction book Never Stop Dancing. The seven books are A Grief Observed, Two Kisses for Maddy, The Year of Magical Thinking, About Alice, A Widow's Story, Tuesdays with Morrie, and When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I'll write a review for each book. Death and grief are common, but we experience each uniquely.)

This was one of the shortest books on my list. At just 78 pages, this book was developed from a 12-page essay Trillin had written and published shortly after his wife, Alice, died from complications with cancer. He's been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963, and that professionalism is on display here in what is really not a book but an expanded essay.

Throughout, Trillin does an interesting thing. He doesn't focus on his grief or sorrow; rather, he writes a lovely and loving tribute to Alice. So through his vignettes we learn how he met her and what she was like as a wife, mother, and friend. He's a skilled writer who brings Alice to life on the page in different life settings—home, family, parties with friends. You leave the book feeling like you've missed out on something by *not* knowing Alice personally. High marks for that.

I liked it
4/5 Amazon
3/5 Goodreads