From one of America’s iconic writers, a stunning book of electric honesty and passion. Joan Didion explores an intensely personal yet universal experience: a portrait of a marriage–and a life, in good times and bad–that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child.Several days before Christmas 2003, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their only daughter, Quintana, fall … Quintana, fall ill with what seemed at first flu, then pneumonia, then complete septic shock. She was put into an induced coma and placed on life support. Days later–the night before New Year’s Eve–the Dunnes were just sitting down to dinner after visiting the hospital when John Gregory Dunne suffered a massive and fatal coronary. In a second, this close, symbiotic partnership of forty years was over. Four weeks later, their daughter pulled through. Two months after that, arriving at LAX, she collapsed and underwent six hours of brain surgery at UCLA Medical Center to relieve a massive hematoma.
This powerful book is Didion’ s attempt to make sense of the “weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness . . . about marriage and children and memory . . . about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself.”
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Heartbreaking in the best possible way. This was my first time reading Joan Didion, and I really loved her voice. Definitely planning on reading more of Didion in the future — any recs on which one I should pick up next?
This is an incredible book about loss, using beautiful language. Joan Didion writes about the sudden death of her husband in such a loving, reflecting and heart-breaking way – it shows the tremendous love and respect they had for each other.
This writer is wildly celebrated. Why? I wanted to know so I read yet another of her books. Whimsical. Sad. Deep.
Joan writes so beautifully of the human hopes, desires, love. This book, about her life in the aftermath of her husband’s unexpected death, is a luminous study of grief.
This was an excellent book. Took me awhile to get into it (it is very sad-it is very much about grief and how we deal with grief in different ways), but once I did, it was awesome. I ended up finishing it on the plane on the way home from Florida (and tried not to cry while sitting amongst LOTS of people).
I would recommend this to anyone, …
Joan Didion in a very sensitive and unique way shares with us the loss of her beloved husband. The way she writes makes you feel you are next to her, accompanying her in her journey.
If you have experienced the loss of a loved one this is an insightful book.
I listened to the audiobook and found it a touching and unique look at experiencing grief. Vanessa Redgrave did an exceptional job as narrator.
Incredible writing and powerfully poignant details about the process of remembrance and grief.
Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy. Didion takes us through her journey with its ups and downs. Her writing, as always, is wonderful and engaging.
Did not particularly like this book. I feel it is very bad advice.
loved this book, love the author!
A personal tragedy told by a gifted writer.ft
I’m not crazy about her writing style, but As a new widow I found several of her observations spot on. They gave words to feelings I had been unable to express.
Dealing with grief.
Didion’s story is an account of the devastating year following the death of her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, and her attempts to make sense of her grief while tending to the severe illness of her adopted daughter, Quintana. This extended narrative allows exploration of subtle and not-so-subtle forces that trigger philosophical explorations …
one of the best books ever on loss, grief, and mourning.
Thought provoking and a work of literary art.
As a widow I was given this book by two different people who were trying to be helpful.Perhaps if you had been widowed for a longer time or had not had the experience at all one would enjoy this book. It’s well written but pretty depressing if you are going through the experience.
Sad but insightful following loss….