The Year Of Magical Thinking has been a book I have been meaning to read for quite some time. I bought it ages ago and have carried it around with me on various trips and holidays - it has been waiting to be opened.
I finally opened it last week and have basically finished it in two sittings. Joan Didion's writing about the sudden death of her husband and the serious and prolonged illnes of her daughter is haunting. Her grief is palpable and heartbreaking. The magical thinking of the title refers to the belief Joan continues to hold following the death of her husband John that he will return to be with her even though she clearly understands that he has died, that he is dead. In one part of the book she writes about not wanting to give away his shoes as he will need those shoes when he returns.
This book resonated with some of my own experiences of grief and certainly some of the experiences of grief that I have been privledged to hear from my clients in the past.
Heartbreaking and honest I would definitely recommend this book to others.
