If, at the end of your life, you got to pick one day to relive, what day would you pick?Walter Zawislak wants none of it. Not a day to relive, not a trip down memory lane through a life he wasted. His wife, Rosie, died twenty years ago, and without her he hasn’t done much living. So if it’s lights out for him, then just turn them off already and let him get some peace and quiet. But Peter, the …
But Peter, the mysterious young man in charge of Walter’s afterlife, isn’t listening to Walter. In Peter’s eyes there is beauty in every day, even the bad ones. Even the really bad ones. Of which Water has had more than a few. But there are also days of bravery and heroism. Selflessness and grace.
And Rosie…there are lots of days of Rosie.
Before it’s too late for both of them, Peter has to remind Walter that there’s more to life than dying.
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How can a story pack so much emotion, so much hope, in such a dreary setting? But it does, and Walter is such a fuddie duddie, and for the most part, I get it. Life is hard, things stay with us, and in the end, they don’t magically go away. But they don’t have to, as Walter realizes, finally, after we take this journey with him. The things that bother us, shaped us, to the person we are, don’t go away at the end. The good things though, the little moments that make up life, they are the ones that pass quietly by, and make the most of the times we forget, but our souls remember. Every day isn’t a good day, but the good days, they are the simple ones, and they make a life worth living
I loved this book so much. It was a last-minute choice for me. It popped up in my daily BookBub recommendations email, and even though there are over 200 books ahead of it that I need to read, it was free on Kindle Unlimited, so I gave it a go.
Walter Zawislak is dead. He wakes up wandering the halls of a hospital and is helped by a very sweet, yet very straight-forward man (angel?) named Peter (no, not THAT Peter).
Walter must relive one day of his life before he can move on, but Walter is an extremely stubborn, sad and broken man. He refuses to pick a day, so Peter gives him glimpses of past days that he may have forgotten about in order to try and speed up the process and get Walter passed on.
What follows are beautiful snapshots of a mans whole life…the wonder of being a child, the excitement of winning the big game and getting the girl, the heartache and trauma of war, the feeling of finding your true love and soul mate, the love and frustration that comes with being the father of a teenage girl, and the loss of the one you hold most dear.
Walter may be a grumpy old man, but you can’t help but feel for him. I loved every minute of this book. It had me taking a good look at my own life and wondering which days I would want to relive, which days were my happiest and my hardest, and being sad about all the wonderful days in between that I’ve since completely forgotten about.
I love life-after-death fiction, and this book is one of my favorites that I’ve read in that genre (along with Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin). Highly recommend this!
What a great book. I only hope their are people out there like the characters in this book! We all wished we knew or were these wonderful peopl!
Loved!
I still can’t believe that this book was as short as it was, because OMG there was so much emotion packed into those pages! Walter and Peter (his guide? handler? manager?) take readers on one heck of a ride here as Peter tries to prod Walter into picking his one day. The problem? Walter’s convinced he doesn’t deserve a day. In fact, he’s sure that all of the “suggested” days that Peter has in Walt’s file are busts–they’re not what they appear to be on the surface. And to an extent, he’s right.
Take an easy example: according to Peter, a lot of decorated war heroes choose the day they earned their honors as their day to relive. But for Walter that was a day of agony and confusion with absolutely nothing he wanted to experience again (and we do relive a bit of it with him–it’s just about as horrible as you think). Every day that Peter tries to nudge Walter toward seems to have bad connotations for Walter.
Or do they?
With Peter’s help, Walter’s able to see aspects of his days, his relationships, and his life that he wasn’t aware of before. Soon he’s seeing things with new eyes.
But is it enough to change Walter’s perception of himself and of his life? What day will be pick, and what will that experience mean for him going forward?
What “forward” is there for Walter?
To find out, you’re going to have to read Walter’s (and, eventually–Rosie’s!) story for yourself. Just make sure you have A LOT of tissues handy, because you’re going to need them. 🙂
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
For those of us of a certain age who are dealing with aging parents and/or our own mortality, A Day in the Death of Walter Zawislak: A Love Story, is not an easy book to read. But that’s exactly why we should be reading it. It is at times heartwrenching, others heartwarming, and you will want to put it down more than once. But at its core it makes you think. It reminds us that while we focus on the bad, we need to remember the good. Because the good always outweighs the bad. We just all need to have a little more faith.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
This incredible book will give you the shivers. It’s not your a typical romance novel – rather it’s an inspiring novel that will have you reassessing your life. That’s what Walt does in this book. But more than a book of self reflection, it’s a novel of forgiveness and observations. Observations of what has sometimes been lost in the moment. Ultimately, this book will pull at your heartstrings and will stay with you forever. I wish more authors would take a risk as molly has to write such an emotionally raw book. Kudos molly. This is one that’s going on my shelf as soon as it’s published!
A Day In The Death of Walter Zawislak: A Love Story is about healing, learning to forgive, changing your perceptions and accepting the things you can’t change. I enjoyed Walter’s journey of self discovery and recommend to those looking for a different experience.
Copy provided by author
I’m a Molly O’Keefe fan and so when I had the chance to read her upcoming release A DAY IN THE DEATH OF WALTER ZAWISLAK, I jumped at it. And I’m so glad I did. This isn’t a romance, as I’m used to from this author. It’s a journey, a revelation. And an utterly beautiful one. Close to death, Walter is offered the chance to relive a day in his life. A–what’s the word I’m looking for…–curmudgeon :-D, Walter is resistant. And stubborn. But Peter, his guide, is even more so. We travel with Walter through his past and what occurs is a revelation for both Walter and the reader. Life is definitely not a journey of happy days only. There are disappointments, devastation, grief, death… But there are also wonderful days, such as those when he met his Rosie. Still, what Walter and we realize is that ALL of those days work for our good and have beauty and strength and lessons and faith and sacrifice that should be appreciated. This book stayed with me long after I put it down. The characters were amazing and the storytelling was stellar. Molly O’Keefe proves once more why she is such a wonderful author.
While this isn’t a romance, there is a love story in Walter’s book, and it’s a challenge to write a review for it. I don’t want to spoil your reading experience by giving you details about Walter’s journey, but I can tell you his story is honest, emotional, raw, compelling and unforgettable. It’s not a second chance for Walter, much as it’s a chance to see his past with new eyes and to reframe his memories.
After a lifetime of regrets, poor decisions and broken promises, Walter has the chance upon his death to relive one day before reaching his eternal destination. While trying to decide which day to choose, Walter gets glimpses into his past and a chance to see events of his life in a new light. It’s both heart breaking and poignant, and eventually leads Walter to redemption and forgiveness. His story is a reminder to be kind and gentle with ourselves, to memorialize those seemingly insignificant moments, and to appreciate what really matters.
Walter’s story is timeless and will be as moving, profound and relevant a hundred years from now as it is today. It will touch your heart, leave its mark on your soul, and give you a greater appreciation for the people in your life. Don’t miss this compelling, thought-provoking, phenomenal read!
Molly O’Keefe delivers a powerful story with A Day in the Death of Walter Zawislak: A Love Story. A book that for me was Heaven Can Wait and A Christmas Story rolled into one. A chance to watch as Walter is sent to a place we call limbo and be able to revisit important and sometimes painful times in his life once more. This broken man, allowing the pain of war and the loss of his wife turn him into someone even he couldn’t recognize any longer. And now to have that last chance to find the peace in death he could never truly find in life.
Although this book shows Walter’s heartbreaking journey, O’Keefe beautifully combines tender moments and brief glimpses of true happiness to give it a lovely heartwarming feel. Showing us that in the end, perhaps all we need is a bit of faith and everything we ever said or did in our lives was not for naught after all.
With the standout guide in Peter for our tired hero, offering a bit of humor when things were a complete ball of confusion, A Day in the Death of Walter Zawislak: A Love Story is full of hope and redemption. A different kind of look into the afterlife and what might be waiting for all of us when our times come.
A true charmer of a story that is not to be missed. It is the perfect respite from all the madness this holiday season can bring and I happily give this book 5 devoted stars!