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Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go
Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go begins with the sudden death of Cheryl Krauter's spouse. Five months later, in a stroke of irony and magic, her husband wins a long-desired guided fly fishing trip in a raffle--and Cheryl decides to go in his place, fulfilling a promise to scatter his ashes by a trout stream.
Part I of this memoir is an account of the first year after Cheryl's husband's death, where she becomes an explorer in the infinite stream of grief and loss, a time traveler between the darkness of sorrow and the light of daily life. Part II concludes with stories of the poignant and humorous adventures she had during the ensuing year. Tying it all together and woven throughout is Cheryl's account of the creation of an altar assembled during the three-day ritual of Los Días de los Muertos.
Poetic and mythological, Odyssey of Ashes is a raw story of loss and the deep transformation that traveling through darkness and returning to light can bring.
Part I of this memoir is an account of the first year after Cheryl's husband's death, where she becomes an explorer in the infinite stream of grief and loss, a time traveler between the darkness of sorrow and the light of daily life. Part II concludes with stories of the poignant and humorous adventures she had during the ensuing year. Tying it all together and woven throughout is Cheryl's account of the creation of an altar assembled during the three-day ritual of Los Días de los Muertos.
Poetic and mythological, Odyssey of Ashes is a raw story of loss and the deep transformation that traveling through darkness and returning to light can bring.
168 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 24, 2021
Cheryl Krauter has shared her experience of love, loss, grief and letting go, her personal journey in this memoir. We feel her joy, we feel her pain. We feel the newness of the journey she did not choose.
She shares how she still had to live, fully, on a daily basis, even as she grieved the loss of her husband.
She shares how she coped, how she found peace, and how she "let go and continued living
No two people grieve the same way, but Cheryl Krauter has presented here in this memoir, how she coped, and just possibly maybe these coping mechanisms can help another through their grief.
She shares how she still had to live, fully, on a daily basis, even as she grieved the loss of her husband.
She shares how she coped, how she found peace, and how she "let go and continued living
No two people grieve the same way, but Cheryl Krauter has presented here in this memoir, how she coped, and just possibly maybe these coping mechanisms can help another through their grief.
August 29, 2021
I have read a lot of memoirs, but this is one that I can honestly say I will never forget. Reading 'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' by Cheryl Krauter is like having a window into a life that has been touched by joy, love and grief.
Krauter lost her husband, John very suddenly one night. Months later, as she is still recovering from the loss, Krauter discovers that John has unexpectedly won a fly-fishing trip. It was the trip of his dreams!
For many of us, this might be a momentary distraction, something to laugh at or even cry over, but ultimately pass up. But fly fishing was John Krauter's greatest passion and something that he and Cheryl eventually ended up sharing as a hobby. Cheryl feels compelled to accept the trip so that she can spread John's ashes on the river that he loved so much in life.
Punctuated with remembrances of their life together, Cheryl writes about her trip along Madison river in Ennis, Montana and the trials of attempting to spread her husband's ashes. Although this is primarily a memoir about grief, it radiates peace, acceptance and ultimately joy about a life well lived.
Cheryl writes about her life with her husband in such a poignant and romantic way, while also making their relationship seem so easy and their love so uncomplicated. She has truly experienced both the highs and the lowest lows that life has to offer, and she writes about both beautifully. But, of course, Cheryl was not the only one who lost John and reading about her resilience as well as their son, Ben and John's family added an extra facet to 'Odyssey Of Ashes.'
This memoir is heartbreaking in a million different ways, both good and bad. Cheryl captures the magic of marriage, motherhood and nature in an unforgettable way, making this book unmissable for memoir-lovers everywhere.
Krauter lost her husband, John very suddenly one night. Months later, as she is still recovering from the loss, Krauter discovers that John has unexpectedly won a fly-fishing trip. It was the trip of his dreams!
For many of us, this might be a momentary distraction, something to laugh at or even cry over, but ultimately pass up. But fly fishing was John Krauter's greatest passion and something that he and Cheryl eventually ended up sharing as a hobby. Cheryl feels compelled to accept the trip so that she can spread John's ashes on the river that he loved so much in life.
Punctuated with remembrances of their life together, Cheryl writes about her trip along Madison river in Ennis, Montana and the trials of attempting to spread her husband's ashes. Although this is primarily a memoir about grief, it radiates peace, acceptance and ultimately joy about a life well lived.
Cheryl writes about her life with her husband in such a poignant and romantic way, while also making their relationship seem so easy and their love so uncomplicated. She has truly experienced both the highs and the lowest lows that life has to offer, and she writes about both beautifully. But, of course, Cheryl was not the only one who lost John and reading about her resilience as well as their son, Ben and John's family added an extra facet to 'Odyssey Of Ashes.'
This memoir is heartbreaking in a million different ways, both good and bad. Cheryl captures the magic of marriage, motherhood and nature in an unforgettable way, making this book unmissable for memoir-lovers everywhere.
August 29, 2021
‘Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,’ by Cheryl Krauter is both a reflection of the author’s life with her husband, and a moving story about finding her way through life after his death.
John Krauter died suddenly of a stroke in their home, leaving his wife with not only the trauma of having witnessed his death but also the grief of facing life without him. As Cheryl is learning to navigate the choppy waters of life on her own, she soon learns that John has won a once in a lifetime fly fishing trip via a raffle.
John was an avid and passionate fly fisherman and Cheryl is a fan of the sport, herself after using it as a form of therapy while recovering from breast cancer. Though she enjoys the sport, Cheryl is initially hesitant to take advantage of the trip, but eventually she decides to go, bringing her husband’s ashes with her to spread over the river.
The second section of the book, which features Cheryl recalling the trip, is irreverent, funny and touching. Everything from the format of this book, to the sections where the author talks about her son, her life with her husband and the different fly-fishing trips that they took works together to create a stunning memoir.
Cheryl Krauter’s writing is beautiful. Through the flashbacks to her life with her husband, she makes an effort to remember him for who he was in life, and not just talk about how he died. This is an excellent memoir for anyone who has lost someone close to them, or who has experienced grief. I could see this being very healing for many readers. I found this memoir both comforting, and enlightening and Cheryl’s remembrances made me remember some of the special people in my own life.
John Krauter died suddenly of a stroke in their home, leaving his wife with not only the trauma of having witnessed his death but also the grief of facing life without him. As Cheryl is learning to navigate the choppy waters of life on her own, she soon learns that John has won a once in a lifetime fly fishing trip via a raffle.
John was an avid and passionate fly fisherman and Cheryl is a fan of the sport, herself after using it as a form of therapy while recovering from breast cancer. Though she enjoys the sport, Cheryl is initially hesitant to take advantage of the trip, but eventually she decides to go, bringing her husband’s ashes with her to spread over the river.
The second section of the book, which features Cheryl recalling the trip, is irreverent, funny and touching. Everything from the format of this book, to the sections where the author talks about her son, her life with her husband and the different fly-fishing trips that they took works together to create a stunning memoir.
Cheryl Krauter’s writing is beautiful. Through the flashbacks to her life with her husband, she makes an effort to remember him for who he was in life, and not just talk about how he died. This is an excellent memoir for anyone who has lost someone close to them, or who has experienced grief. I could see this being very healing for many readers. I found this memoir both comforting, and enlightening and Cheryl’s remembrances made me remember some of the special people in my own life.
August 9, 2021
“I have come to understand that I, too, live in the margins now, roaming the edge between the deep and shallow water of my soul. I've become an underwater creature in the silent turbulence of my grief.”
'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' by Cheryl Krauter is not only a memoir but a tribute to a life well lived that was cut short too soon.
After Cheryl Krauter recovered from breast cancer, she thought that she had been through the worst that life had to throw at her. That is, until her husband, John unexpectedly died of a stroke in their home.
Reeling from the shocking loss, Cheryl was only just starting to get back on her feet when she is notified that her husband has won a raffle.
And not just any old raffle, John posthumously won a fly fishing trip to Madison river in Montana.
For their entire marriage, John had been a passionate fly fisherman. He and Cheryl had even taken a trip to Madison river once before, in 1988 and John had enjoyed it so much that he often told his wife he would like to go back.
Although Cheryl also enjoys the sport, she is initially hesitant to accept the trip, fearing that it will make her miss her husband all the more.
However, she soon decides to go so that she can bring John's ashes and spread them on the river.
Throughout the trip, Cheryl experiences bad storms, grumpy guides and the beauty of Montana's small towns and wilderness.
The memoir centers around Cheryl's experience on the river and flashbacks to her life with her husband and their son.
Every moment of this memoir was enjoyable and deeply touching. Krauter's writing is one of a kind. She has such a talent for expressing both the beauty and the despair of life, a gift that makes this memoir an unforgettable read.
'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' by Cheryl Krauter is not only a memoir but a tribute to a life well lived that was cut short too soon.
After Cheryl Krauter recovered from breast cancer, she thought that she had been through the worst that life had to throw at her. That is, until her husband, John unexpectedly died of a stroke in their home.
Reeling from the shocking loss, Cheryl was only just starting to get back on her feet when she is notified that her husband has won a raffle.
And not just any old raffle, John posthumously won a fly fishing trip to Madison river in Montana.
For their entire marriage, John had been a passionate fly fisherman. He and Cheryl had even taken a trip to Madison river once before, in 1988 and John had enjoyed it so much that he often told his wife he would like to go back.
Although Cheryl also enjoys the sport, she is initially hesitant to accept the trip, fearing that it will make her miss her husband all the more.
However, she soon decides to go so that she can bring John's ashes and spread them on the river.
Throughout the trip, Cheryl experiences bad storms, grumpy guides and the beauty of Montana's small towns and wilderness.
The memoir centers around Cheryl's experience on the river and flashbacks to her life with her husband and their son.
Every moment of this memoir was enjoyable and deeply touching. Krauter's writing is one of a kind. She has such a talent for expressing both the beauty and the despair of life, a gift that makes this memoir an unforgettable read.
August 29, 2021
In the middle of the night, John Krauter woke with back pain. In getting up from bed, he woke his wife, Cheryl of almost 30 years. When John left the room, Cheryl tried to get back to sleep, but she found herself overcome with a sudden dread that she could not explain.
Getting out of bed, she followed John into their living room, only to find that he had collapsed on the floor. Cheryl immediately called for an ambulance, but unfortunately John passed away a short time later. The loss was sudden and an absolute shock to Cheryl, who had only just survived breast cancer herself a few years earlier in 2007.
Cheryl spent the next five months dealing with her grief, and leaning on friends and family for comfort, until she was notified one day that John had won a raffle. Although the organizers of the raffle were aware that John had passed, his name was kept in the drawing anyway and he actually won. The prize was a once in a lifetime fly-fishing trip on Madison River in Ennis, Montana.
John loved fly-fishing and he and Cheryl had been on many trips to fly-fishing rivers all over the country. Now Cheryl would be taking one of these trips on her own and with her husband's ashes in tow.
'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' is the story of one woman's journey, both literal and metaphorical, to spread her husband's ashes along the river that he had loved so much.
This memoir is deeply moving, and Cheryl Krauter's writing is the reason for that. I can only imagine how difficult her husband's loss was for her to get through, but through this book she bares both her grief and her acceptance beautifully.
Getting out of bed, she followed John into their living room, only to find that he had collapsed on the floor. Cheryl immediately called for an ambulance, but unfortunately John passed away a short time later. The loss was sudden and an absolute shock to Cheryl, who had only just survived breast cancer herself a few years earlier in 2007.
Cheryl spent the next five months dealing with her grief, and leaning on friends and family for comfort, until she was notified one day that John had won a raffle. Although the organizers of the raffle were aware that John had passed, his name was kept in the drawing anyway and he actually won. The prize was a once in a lifetime fly-fishing trip on Madison River in Ennis, Montana.
John loved fly-fishing and he and Cheryl had been on many trips to fly-fishing rivers all over the country. Now Cheryl would be taking one of these trips on her own and with her husband's ashes in tow.
'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' is the story of one woman's journey, both literal and metaphorical, to spread her husband's ashes along the river that he had loved so much.
This memoir is deeply moving, and Cheryl Krauter's writing is the reason for that. I can only imagine how difficult her husband's loss was for her to get through, but through this book she bares both her grief and her acceptance beautifully.
August 29, 2021
A beautifully touching memoir from the author Cheryl Krauter, 'Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go,' is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring.
John Krauter, Cheryl's husband, died very suddenly in their home one night. The loss was staggering, and Cheryl and her college-aged son, Ben were left to pick up the pieces.
Months passed, and Cheryl was beginning to get back on her feet when she received a phone call about John. She was told that John had won a trip--but not just any trip, a once in a lifetime fly-fishing trip. Deep in the wilderness of the beautiful state of Montana, sits a river that is famous for it's fly-fishing.
Cheryl and John had traveled their once before, way back in 1988 and John had always talked about returning one day, hence him putting his name in a raffle for the trip. But Cheryl was unsure if she should accept the prize at first. Going without John, she knew, would be painful.
Soon, she realized that since it was something that John had wanted, she should not turn down the opportunity and that it would be an excellent place to scatter his ashes. Cheryl's trip is retold throughout the last half of the memoir, and alternates with flashbacks from her marriage, combining to make 'Odyssey Of Ashes' a gorgeous and heartbreaking reading experience.
This memoir is life affirming in so many ways. Anyone who has lost someone close to them will be moved by Cheryl Krauter's writing. Just like the people that we love, memoirs like this are one of a kind and should be embraced when we find them!
John Krauter, Cheryl's husband, died very suddenly in their home one night. The loss was staggering, and Cheryl and her college-aged son, Ben were left to pick up the pieces.
Months passed, and Cheryl was beginning to get back on her feet when she received a phone call about John. She was told that John had won a trip--but not just any trip, a once in a lifetime fly-fishing trip. Deep in the wilderness of the beautiful state of Montana, sits a river that is famous for it's fly-fishing.
Cheryl and John had traveled their once before, way back in 1988 and John had always talked about returning one day, hence him putting his name in a raffle for the trip. But Cheryl was unsure if she should accept the prize at first. Going without John, she knew, would be painful.
Soon, she realized that since it was something that John had wanted, she should not turn down the opportunity and that it would be an excellent place to scatter his ashes. Cheryl's trip is retold throughout the last half of the memoir, and alternates with flashbacks from her marriage, combining to make 'Odyssey Of Ashes' a gorgeous and heartbreaking reading experience.
This memoir is life affirming in so many ways. Anyone who has lost someone close to them will be moved by Cheryl Krauter's writing. Just like the people that we love, memoirs like this are one of a kind and should be embraced when we find them!
August 4, 2021
Disclosure: I received a copy of Odyssey of Ashes in order to complete by review. All opinions are 100% my own.
odyssey/ˈädəsē: a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience.
The loss of your spouse is one of the hardest things to go through. When Cheryl unexpectedly lost John, her husband from a heart attack her world drastically changed. This memoir is about Cheryl’s journey after her husband’s death. Fulfilling a trip that her husband won after his death was his ‘trip of a lifetime.’ She had enjoyed fly fishing with John many times but never had she gone on a trip alone.
Although this is not about the book itself, I struggled while reading this book as my brother-in-law of 28 years passed away during me reading this book. I wrote about Craig here. And my husband had suffered from 2 heart attacks a year ago in June. I think the 2 things intermingled for me while reading this book and made me question things such as what would I do if I was in Cheryl’s situation?
Craig passed away on July 15, 2021, after fighting for 18 months from his January 10, 2020 vehicle accident. His death was honestly a surprise as he seemed to have been doing well. (for Craig). We feel that possibly he was tired of fighting and being in pain for so long. So to say the least my mind wasn’t as focused while reading this book as it should have been.
From the start of the book, it is one that keeps you engaged. Cheryl allows you to feel what she is feeling to an extent and allows you to know the feelings that she is feeling.
The “Odyssey of Ashes” made a lot of sense to me as I read because Cheryl taking John’s ashes to his final resting place made so much more sense to me. I loved how everything was so neatly woven together.
odyssey/ˈädəsē: a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience.
The loss of your spouse is one of the hardest things to go through. When Cheryl unexpectedly lost John, her husband from a heart attack her world drastically changed. This memoir is about Cheryl’s journey after her husband’s death. Fulfilling a trip that her husband won after his death was his ‘trip of a lifetime.’ She had enjoyed fly fishing with John many times but never had she gone on a trip alone.
Although this is not about the book itself, I struggled while reading this book as my brother-in-law of 28 years passed away during me reading this book. I wrote about Craig here. And my husband had suffered from 2 heart attacks a year ago in June. I think the 2 things intermingled for me while reading this book and made me question things such as what would I do if I was in Cheryl’s situation?
Craig passed away on July 15, 2021, after fighting for 18 months from his January 10, 2020 vehicle accident. His death was honestly a surprise as he seemed to have been doing well. (for Craig). We feel that possibly he was tired of fighting and being in pain for so long. So to say the least my mind wasn’t as focused while reading this book as it should have been.
From the start of the book, it is one that keeps you engaged. Cheryl allows you to feel what she is feeling to an extent and allows you to know the feelings that she is feeling.
The “Odyssey of Ashes” made a lot of sense to me as I read because Cheryl taking John’s ashes to his final resting place made so much more sense to me. I loved how everything was so neatly woven together.
August 13, 2021
After recently losing my husband to cancer a few months ago, I found that Cheryl Krauter’s Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go really spoke to me. I felt connected to her and understood her emotions. Reading on how she was able to handle life without her love was so inspiring. It was a good to my soul type of read for me.
I am giving Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who have experienced a loss of a spouse and see how another was able to cope. I would love for Cheryl Krauter another book about her grief and survive.
I received a paperback copy of Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who have experienced a loss of a spouse and see how another was able to cope. I would love for Cheryl Krauter another book about her grief and survive.
I received a paperback copy of Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
April 3, 2021
Cheryl Krauter's latest memoir, Odyssey of Ashes, is both a moving tribute to her late husband John and the celebration of an emergent woman who finds herself "being carried on great winds across the sky" in a cradle of intermittent sorrow and enlightenment.
Krauter's background in sciences related to human consciousness appears to have inspired the structure and form of her memoir. Beginning each chapter with carefully selected words and quotes help set a presentiment of what's to come. She smoothly takes the reader along on a journey to get to know John, a man who loved fly fishing and who even managed to get Cheryl to accompany him to learn the sport. She says, "..what I really enjoyed was being with John in his element...sharing a quiet moment side by side."
The odyssey of John's ashes begins with a trip to the Madison River in Montana, a premiere fly-fishing river of the world. The author spends an incredible July day fishing the river that John would have fished with her, since he won the trip at a raffle hosted by Casting for Recovery. After her day on the river, Cheryl sets out to find a place to scatter John's ashes. Suddenly she finds herself caught in a tempest; torrents of rain hammer her car, rendering the road impossible to navigate. The reader can't be sure whether this is some sort of divine interference mingling with electromagnetic storms, or surreal visages and cacophonic sounds exaggerated by a terrified widow caught in a rainstorm. Suddenly she hears John's gentle voice guiding her to his eternal resting spot along the river, just as the storm subsides.
Written in an enjoyable flowing format with chapters divided between two main sections, Krauter's book will break your heart while channeling habits of self pity toward doing a greater good. If you, like Cheryl, find yourself alone and wracked by moments of immobilization while clearing out closets or garage items, you’ll find good examples of ways to carry on. From creating an annual Day of the Dead altar to commemorate the departed, dressing up to go to town once in awhile, finding life’s humor and ironies, or looking for signs of life all around you, Krauter shares personal, interesting anecdotes.
She also shared the folktale of Mis, a little known wild woman of Irish mythology. Mis, an archetypal woman who lives within us, “screams the rage we are afraid to express, wails the grief that threatens to swallow us whole, expresses the unacceptable inner voices we suppress out of fear.” Mis demonstrates the need to honor mourning in all its forms, from wild expressions of rage to subtle moments of screaming silently inside. Since the earliest of times, primal mourning sounds offered release for broken hearts. Odyssey of Ashes is a sort of keening for Krauter.
I highly recommend this book for those who’ve lost a spouse and want to understand how one woman is working through it.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Shawn LaTorre for this review.
Krauter's background in sciences related to human consciousness appears to have inspired the structure and form of her memoir. Beginning each chapter with carefully selected words and quotes help set a presentiment of what's to come. She smoothly takes the reader along on a journey to get to know John, a man who loved fly fishing and who even managed to get Cheryl to accompany him to learn the sport. She says, "..what I really enjoyed was being with John in his element...sharing a quiet moment side by side."
The odyssey of John's ashes begins with a trip to the Madison River in Montana, a premiere fly-fishing river of the world. The author spends an incredible July day fishing the river that John would have fished with her, since he won the trip at a raffle hosted by Casting for Recovery. After her day on the river, Cheryl sets out to find a place to scatter John's ashes. Suddenly she finds herself caught in a tempest; torrents of rain hammer her car, rendering the road impossible to navigate. The reader can't be sure whether this is some sort of divine interference mingling with electromagnetic storms, or surreal visages and cacophonic sounds exaggerated by a terrified widow caught in a rainstorm. Suddenly she hears John's gentle voice guiding her to his eternal resting spot along the river, just as the storm subsides.
Written in an enjoyable flowing format with chapters divided between two main sections, Krauter's book will break your heart while channeling habits of self pity toward doing a greater good. If you, like Cheryl, find yourself alone and wracked by moments of immobilization while clearing out closets or garage items, you’ll find good examples of ways to carry on. From creating an annual Day of the Dead altar to commemorate the departed, dressing up to go to town once in awhile, finding life’s humor and ironies, or looking for signs of life all around you, Krauter shares personal, interesting anecdotes.
She also shared the folktale of Mis, a little known wild woman of Irish mythology. Mis, an archetypal woman who lives within us, “screams the rage we are afraid to express, wails the grief that threatens to swallow us whole, expresses the unacceptable inner voices we suppress out of fear.” Mis demonstrates the need to honor mourning in all its forms, from wild expressions of rage to subtle moments of screaming silently inside. Since the earliest of times, primal mourning sounds offered release for broken hearts. Odyssey of Ashes is a sort of keening for Krauter.
I highly recommend this book for those who’ve lost a spouse and want to understand how one woman is working through it.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Shawn LaTorre for this review.
August 16, 2021
While all of the best books give us the ultimate chance to walk into another's shoes, for a while, the best memoirs enable us to live another person's real-life for the length of those pages. This is what Cheryl Krauter does in her new memoir ‘Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Letting Go’.
In this outstanding read, Cheryl grapples with the pain of losing her beloved husband, John only just after she has recovered from breast cancer. However, five months down the line and amid this trauma, Krauter discovers that her husband had won a raffle which will involve a fly-fishing trip to Madison River in Montana. Though she is against the idea of going on the trip, at first, since it may bring back evocative memories of her husband she finally decides to go in a bid to fulfil her husband passion for fly-fishing. Tagging along in the trip are John’s ashes which Cheryl intends to scatter by the trout stream.
Krauter’s writing is very evocative and you can feel her despair and sorrow when she lost her husband. The portrayal of grief in this book is so honest and beautifully written with the author doing a masterful job of describing the dizzying and destabilizing moment of grief. Kudos to Krauter for putting this story on paper.
An amazingly raw story of loss and inspiration beautifully rendered to help overcome grief.
In this outstanding read, Cheryl grapples with the pain of losing her beloved husband, John only just after she has recovered from breast cancer. However, five months down the line and amid this trauma, Krauter discovers that her husband had won a raffle which will involve a fly-fishing trip to Madison River in Montana. Though she is against the idea of going on the trip, at first, since it may bring back evocative memories of her husband she finally decides to go in a bid to fulfil her husband passion for fly-fishing. Tagging along in the trip are John’s ashes which Cheryl intends to scatter by the trout stream.
Krauter’s writing is very evocative and you can feel her despair and sorrow when she lost her husband. The portrayal of grief in this book is so honest and beautifully written with the author doing a masterful job of describing the dizzying and destabilizing moment of grief. Kudos to Krauter for putting this story on paper.
An amazingly raw story of loss and inspiration beautifully rendered to help overcome grief.
December 14, 2023
From the review published 16 November, 2023 in The Berkeley Times, Knox Book Beat as "Grief & Gratitude" covering the “Mystery, Magic and Meaning of Transformation” She Writes Press’ reading at Book Passage in June of 2023.
“Yet these are the cards that have been laid before me, and I know I will play the hand I’ve been dealt.” (Krauter p. 43).
I’m glad moderator Cheryl Krauter sent me her 2021 Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go, sensitively and honestly chronicling her husband’s sudden death, her thoughts, feelings and responses then, leading up to and through her pilgrimage to a Montana fly-fishing stream where she takes his ashes, and then through her thoughts and changes as she celebrates Día de Los Muertos and contemplates how she has changed, her “myth,” self-concept and mortality.
“We leave behind all that we were once and become --- what? Air? Sky? Stars? Do our souls, the essence of our being, travel in swirling patterns of light and color in corners of the universe we cannot comprehend, only to circle back and touch others lightly in the heart?” (Krauter, p. 125). (YES!)
She talks to a friend’s picture on the Muertos altar, asking forgiveness for “not understanding the devastating grief of losing (her husband) Joe…I wish she were here with me. We’d agree that the loss of a partner does not get easier… Like a river meandering along its path, sparkling in the sunlight, beneath the surface, the water is always made of tears.” (Krauter, p. 134). When she finds $560 in cash in “the mess of John’s office,” she hears “him saying to me, “Don’t pay bills with this. Take it for yourself; do something frivolous.” It’s one of those bittersweet moments then I feel how he lives in me.”
The dead inhabit our consciousness, giving us “messages from the grave.” All we need to do is suspend the rational mind and they’re right there, where they’ve been all along.”
I felt like I was automatically on a first-name basis with all these women after hearing them and reading their books.
I hear Larry say “I’m excited,” in that odd, deadpan way he had. I feel better. Not “so sad.” Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you… <3
https://www.cherylkrauter.com/
https://shewritespress.com/product/od...
“Yet these are the cards that have been laid before me, and I know I will play the hand I’ve been dealt.” (Krauter p. 43).
I’m glad moderator Cheryl Krauter sent me her 2021 Odyssey of Ashes: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Letting Go, sensitively and honestly chronicling her husband’s sudden death, her thoughts, feelings and responses then, leading up to and through her pilgrimage to a Montana fly-fishing stream where she takes his ashes, and then through her thoughts and changes as she celebrates Día de Los Muertos and contemplates how she has changed, her “myth,” self-concept and mortality.
“We leave behind all that we were once and become --- what? Air? Sky? Stars? Do our souls, the essence of our being, travel in swirling patterns of light and color in corners of the universe we cannot comprehend, only to circle back and touch others lightly in the heart?” (Krauter, p. 125). (YES!)
She talks to a friend’s picture on the Muertos altar, asking forgiveness for “not understanding the devastating grief of losing (her husband) Joe…I wish she were here with me. We’d agree that the loss of a partner does not get easier… Like a river meandering along its path, sparkling in the sunlight, beneath the surface, the water is always made of tears.” (Krauter, p. 134). When she finds $560 in cash in “the mess of John’s office,” she hears “him saying to me, “Don’t pay bills with this. Take it for yourself; do something frivolous.” It’s one of those bittersweet moments then I feel how he lives in me.”
The dead inhabit our consciousness, giving us “messages from the grave.” All we need to do is suspend the rational mind and they’re right there, where they’ve been all along.”
I felt like I was automatically on a first-name basis with all these women after hearing them and reading their books.
I hear Larry say “I’m excited,” in that odd, deadpan way he had. I feel better. Not “so sad.” Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you… <3
https://www.cherylkrauter.com/
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September 4, 2021
What a raw and intimate story of loss and grief, of letting go of what must move on while holding on to the essential self and discovering a resilience rooted in vulnerability. Reading this memoir of widowhood as a recent widow myself my emotions are still riding the turbulent currents of her story as I try to sort out the mix and mingle of my own emotions from hers.
She answered one of my burning questions tho. How long? Forever. Grieving is not a task that has a definitive end like making a meal or writing a book. It is as much a lifetime commitment as the marriage itself was. Grief is transformative and as it transforms you and your life the experience of grief itself will transform. Grief is like the weather and rivers--wind and water rushing over landscapes at times turbulent and stormy and other times placid but always a part of the landscape of your soul. And never the same two minutes in a row let alone two days.
Cheryl Kruater plays with the extended metaphors of the River and the Weather throughout Odyssey of Ashes. Having lived the life of a student of fly fishing for the duration of her marriage to an avid fly fisherman, she has a visceral understanding of both rivers and weather. She knows in her pores and her bones what it feels like to be buffeted by the wind or the waters of the stream while standing beside or in it. Now she takes that understanding and imbues her memoir of sudden widowhood with images and emotions evoked by her intimate relationship to river landscapes as she stands in her new personal landscape buffeted by the brutal winds of grief.
And then as she went in her husband's place on the guided tour of Montana rivers he won in a raffle half a year after his death, the interplay between that metaphor and the actual rivers and weather began to work healing magic on her grief, transmuting it into something she could carry into her future instead of fearing being carried off by currents of consuming loss.
In having the courage to share this intimate memoir, Cheryl Krauter has contributed no small gift to fellow grievers. I can testify to that having found comfort and hope in reading it as I approach the end of my first year of widowhood.
She answered one of my burning questions tho. How long? Forever. Grieving is not a task that has a definitive end like making a meal or writing a book. It is as much a lifetime commitment as the marriage itself was. Grief is transformative and as it transforms you and your life the experience of grief itself will transform. Grief is like the weather and rivers--wind and water rushing over landscapes at times turbulent and stormy and other times placid but always a part of the landscape of your soul. And never the same two minutes in a row let alone two days.
Cheryl Kruater plays with the extended metaphors of the River and the Weather throughout Odyssey of Ashes. Having lived the life of a student of fly fishing for the duration of her marriage to an avid fly fisherman, she has a visceral understanding of both rivers and weather. She knows in her pores and her bones what it feels like to be buffeted by the wind or the waters of the stream while standing beside or in it. Now she takes that understanding and imbues her memoir of sudden widowhood with images and emotions evoked by her intimate relationship to river landscapes as she stands in her new personal landscape buffeted by the brutal winds of grief.
And then as she went in her husband's place on the guided tour of Montana rivers he won in a raffle half a year after his death, the interplay between that metaphor and the actual rivers and weather began to work healing magic on her grief, transmuting it into something she could carry into her future instead of fearing being carried off by currents of consuming loss.
In having the courage to share this intimate memoir, Cheryl Krauter has contributed no small gift to fellow grievers. I can testify to that having found comfort and hope in reading it as I approach the end of my first year of widowhood.
June 23, 2021
One of the luckiest people, to read it before it's actual release, an amazing story, it's the first memoir I've ever read in life and privileged enough to read life long lesson in my young age, Cheryl's first book I've read and to be very honest, I cried whenever her character did , the way she's written it is splendid and the way she dealt with the loss, I felt it. This book will be something extremely precious to me and the way she connected the nature with her inner battles and learnt lessons from it.
This book has taught me much more than, I've ever thought will , to be honest I've never heard of fly fishing before it, the innumerable precious memories that she spent with her partner all of sudden became a memory. The way she compared a time machine with her memories hit me , and with innumerable quotes, I was confused which one will hit you hard so , I decided not to include the quote , I want you to read the story yourself and feel it.
Because, I don't support spoilers.
This book has taught me much more than, I've ever thought will , to be honest I've never heard of fly fishing before it, the innumerable precious memories that she spent with her partner all of sudden became a memory. The way she compared a time machine with her memories hit me , and with innumerable quotes, I was confused which one will hit you hard so , I decided not to include the quote , I want you to read the story yourself and feel it.
Because, I don't support spoilers.
August 11, 2021
What a poignant read, full of love and loss, and the complicated frameworks of a life made between two people. The death of people we love can be the death of a huge part of us all and finding the power to go on, the guilt in surviving, and the balance between letting go and paying tribute and honoring the memory of our loved ones - that's what this book was about to me. Cheryl Krauter paints a picture in this book with her emotions, a picture that stirs and evokes memory and heartache, longing for closure, and a need to keep living. Beautifully written, this book will stay with me for years to come.
May 28, 2021
Krauter pens a loving, tender journey on letting go. Her husband John died abruptly and the memoir is a telling of how she handled it and the aftermath. Much of the book revolves around fishing, her husband’s passion. She also includes flashbacks to their relationship. I thought one of the most poignant parts was her releasing of his ashes. Loss is always difficult and Odyssey of Ashes marks one woman’s journey of letting go, moving on, but not forgetting. Thanks to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the early read.
July 19, 2021
This one was so good! I was shocked at the beginning that we actually got all this information of her husband's death, but I think it really opens you up to see how she was feeling during those moments. I have recently experienced some grief, as many of us have over the past year. I just liked reading Cheryl's story and felt really connected to her the whole time. I liked how she learned again how to live and laugh at herself. I thought it was extremely brave of her to take on that fishing trip.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this beautiful book!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this beautiful book!
August 15, 2021
In this meditation on loss, Cheryl Krauter skillfully uses fly fishing and scenic rivers as metaphors for healing from the sudden death of her beloved husband. Vivid, brave, sad, and hopeful, she shows us what it takes to walk through deep pain from such an unexpected event. And she also effectively utilizes dark irony, such as when she considers the very practical and real question, “how do we throw away a life?” while cleaning out closets and the stuff of her husband’s life. A moving portrayal of one woman’s spiritual journey that is recommended for teaching us all.
November 29, 2021
This is a beautifully lyrical memoir of love and loss, one that is filled with metaphor and self-reflection. I felt Cheryl's shock and grief in my body as she describes coming upon her lifeless husband, John. And I stayed with her throughout her journey of loss, from scattering John's ashes in fly fishing country to adorning an altar with pieces of their lives to honor the Day of the Dead to taking on the feeding of the hummingbirds that have now became her responsibility to moving on with her life whlie still forever grieving. Her self-awareness in the present and retrospectively makes this not only a memoir of grief but also one of strength and growth. I highly recommend it.
December 30, 2024
Cheryl has written a deeply profound memoir that provides insight, hope and authenticity into the process of grief. It is moving and heartfelt and I guarantee you can find personal meaning in her story. Thanks for sharing this with the world Cheryl!
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