The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - 4 stars (Subdue & Birthday)

[Joy D]

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - 4* - My Review

Joan Didion’s memoir about a tragic year in her life. Her husband, John Gregory Dunne, died suddenly at the end of 2003 while her daughter was hospitalized with pneumonia. She had to delay dealing with her loss while she dealt with her daughter’s illness. Postponing grief does not make it any easier. If you have ever experienced such a loss (as I have), you will identify with her point of view that our society has lost touch with the process of grieving and mourning. People are expected to just "deal with it" and “move on,” which takes time and is not even within the capability of the person left behind. It is focused specifically on denial, and the early stages of grief. I would not recommend it for the recently bereaved, but I would wait until several years have passed before reading it, as I am sure each person has a different tolerance for revisiting a significant loss. I think it is more useful for people who are acquainted with the bereaved, but not directly impacted, to understand what they are going through.

PBT Comments: This also blows out Candle #7 - Top 100 Non-Fiction