Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

I can't remember who recommended this book (probably the NY Times) but it was quite good.  It deals with the aftermath of the death of a newborn after only 57 hours.  The perspective changes from the mother to the father, the 13 year old son, the 10 year old daughter, a 23 year old daughter of the father from a college relationship and, somewhat mysteriously, a 19 year old misfit who bumps into the family and has just lost his own father.  The time frame also switches from the present to a year ago, when the baby died, and contains one segment about 8 years prior which is the only other time the stepsister spent any time with the family.  The character development and the revelation of the secrets of the various family members is really well executed.  The sadness of the children which for a long time goes unnoticed by the parents as they grieve is particularly poignant.

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