SOLVED. widow loses an important diary/notebook (short story) [s]

[Sandra]

This is a short story I read about 20 years ago. It was part of a larger collection. At the time, I was reading a lot of Alice Adams, so it could be one of her stories.

In it, a woman who has recently been widowed is writing all about her fears, hopes, dreams in a notebook. At some point in the story, she loses the notebook and is, understandably, upset by this. She makes reference in the story to Doris Lessing's "The Golden Notebook."

I think at the end she buys a new notebook and starts all over again.

I don't remember anything about the book's physical characteristics. This would have been published most likely in the 1980s.

Thank you for your help.

[Sandra]

SOLVED

It is "Lost Luggage" by Alice Adams.

Moderators, how do I move this out of UNSOLVED?

[Kris]

Sandra, do you recall if the collection of stories you read with "Lost Luggage" was The Stories of Alice Adams by Alice Adams?

Or was it a collection of short stories by different authors?

[Sandra]

Yes, the story is in that particular collection.

Kris wrote: "Sandra, do you recall if the collection of stories you read with "Lost Luggage" was The Stories of Alice Adams by Alice Adams?

Or was it a collection of short stories..."

[Kris]

Great! Glad you found your short story. :)