Comfort: A Journey Through Grief

Comfort: A Journey Through Grief by Ann Hood

What was this book about?

Ann Hood, a novelist went through one of the most difficult things a parent can go through – she lost her 5 year old daughter. One day Grace was a happy healthy kid, the next she was dead.

Having a mother (and a writer) analyze their grief and get it down on paper has to be difficult. But that is what Ann has done in this novel.

What did you think about the book?

Ann Hood has also written “The Knitting Circle” which I definitely enjoyed. When I found out that that novel came from a tragedy in her own life – and she had written something about that I knew I had to read it.

It definitely didn’t disappoint. While it seems to jump from one place to another – in many ways I feel that it only represents what is really going on in her mind and her life. Grief for losing a child is something I can only imagine. While the book isn’t going to end all fairytales and roses, I feel it realistically both describes her grief and describes how she has as best she can continued on with her life.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch


What was this book about?

Randy Pausch is a husband, a father of three, and a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University. He is invited to participate in their “Last Lecture” Series where professors speak for an hour about what they want to pass on or teach their students if they knew they were going to die shortly. The twist with Randy is that he knows he has only 3 – 6 months to live. He has been diagnosed with cancer and has 10 tumors in his liver alone.

Randy takes the time out of his last days with his family to prepare his last lecture. This book is essentially a replay of the knowledge that he wanted to pass on. This isn’t just for his students but is also something that his children (all quite young) can remember for years. It is like having a little piece of their father that is always available to them.

What did you like/dislike about the book?

This book is quite inspirational. He doesn’t just think about how his time is flying away, except as it applies to the time he wishes he could spend with his wife and children. I spent the entire time chocked up, but at the same time just thinking the thoughts in this book are happy.

What genre would you consider this?

Inspirational

Overall: A

If I was to nominate this book for an award it would be: Book I Want to Give my Mother for Christmas