Widowhood Is Not Funny is a Guidebook for the new widow. The new life of a widow is a damn hard journey and the best travel guide is another widow. This Guidebook is written by someone who has been there and done that, someone who has been through the Five Stages of Grief and knows how difficult life is after losing one’s husband. The new widow needs help from someone who knows how to get to acceptance. A New Widow especially needs to know she’s not alone, that there is someone who understands, someone who knows how afraid she is. She needs someone to hold her hand and lead her through the obstacle course she will encounter on this journey. Friends and relatives mean well, but they don’t really understand what she needs or how to help her. This Guidebook is intended to help the new widow find her new purpose and show her that there is still joy to be found, that happiness again is possible.
Alanna Parke Kvale's book, Widowhood Is Not Funny, is a book that I believe everyone who has ever suffered the loss of a spouse, or who is about to go through this unfortunate time in their lives, needs to have to have in their hands. I believe it is very helpful in getting through those hurting times. My wife passed away on December 2, 2007, and if I had had this book then, I believe things would have been somewhat easier for me. Alanna is a truly great friend and has helped me in my times of struggle after my wife's passing. She has always been willing to listen to me when I would write to her about my feelings, and her words of comfort were from the heart, as she has experienced this same loss in her life. She writes from experience and I highly recommend her book! Purchasing this book will be the best thing you can do for yourself, along with prayer and knowing that God is always there to comfort you. God bless! E. Richard Bridgeforth, Sr. Author/Minister
A meaningful gift for a new widow, age 45+, especially if she was a stay-at-home homemaker.
This is a difficult review to write, because there are a number of things that I did not like about this book. The writing rambles and at times is not very well organized. The advice is, at times, repetitive. The target group is lower/middle income widowed homemakers (which I am not).
So why did I give it 4 stars? Because I believe that the target audience will find it to be a very helpful and encouraging book. The author was unexpectedly widowed and left with virtually no financial resources and her grief. A new widow in like circumstances will find comfort in this book, and won't care if the writing rambles. The well-spaced large easy-to-read print will make it a welcome book in the early blurry days of raw grief.
The book is not religious (nor is it anti-religion), and does not attempt to answer any of the big issues that surround death. Instead it focuses on the practical effort to move from day to day. There are a number of websites mentioned and recommended. The best tip I gleaned from the book is that there are on-line support groups for widows that are available 24/7 (so there is a kindred soul to talk to when you are lonely and grieving in the middle of the night).
I would not recommend this book for a widow who was more educated or who was herself employed outside the home for any significant period of time. But for the target audience described, I would award 4 stars. Kudos to Alanna for sharing her story and seeking to help others.
Disclosure: I was randomly selected from among numerous GoodReads readers to receive an advance copy of this book; I have read it and this is my honest evaluation. I have no connection with this author or publisher and have received nothing from anyone in consideration for publishing this review.