When I saw the title: The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards, I knew this would be a juicy memoir.
The memoir seems to be divided into two parts: The time the author experiences immediately after the death of her husband and the exploration of new-age spiritualism in the years after.
This first part is gripping, raw and emotional. We see flashbacks to the couple's courtship and tumultuous marriage. The themes of loss, infidelity, mental illness, betrayal and more are explored with real vulnerability.
We vividly experience the author's truth and the prose is well-written, engaging and approachable.
The author lost her husband, Sean, to a massive heart attack in the Houston airport when he was on a business trip. Sean was 47 and their son, Dash was 9.
The second half of the memoir however was different. It was more a compilation of vignettes of Waite’s life past the first year post-death as she explores spiritualism and tries to make sense of her loss and connect to her husband's ghost. I found the memoir's second part somewhat less interesting than the first. It took longer for me to read and stay focused and engaged.
It's difficult to review and critique a memoir, as a person puts their life and, in this case, deeply traumatic events on the page for strangers to criticize. It was a good read but not the type of memoir I usually reach for.
About the Author
When life handed Jessica Waite a riveting, horrifying and surprisingly beautiful story, she transformed herself into a writer. Her debut memoir, The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards, became an instant bestseller, featured by The Washington Post, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, The Toronto Star, and many other outlets. Jessica lives on Treaty 7 territory in the city of Calgary, Alberta. You can find her at https://www.storymourning.com/
About the Reviewer
Shawna Butler is a mother, a retired athlete and a fitness professional. She currently works in the skincare industry with Drunk Elephant. She enjoys watching baseball and reading about sports, fashion, poetry and biographies in her spare time. She likes to travel anywhere warm and sunny. Shawna has a BBA from Mount Saint Vincent University and lives in Paradise, Newfoundland.
Book Details
Publisher : Simon & Schuster (July 30 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1668045532
ISBN-13 : 978-1668045534