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Happily Even After: A Guide to Getting Through (and Beyond) the Grief of Widowhood
Happily Even After is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE AWARD
The issues that surround the loss of a spouse are numerous and complex. A very small sampling of these issues include helping children cope with a parent's death, re-entering the workplace and eventually re-entering the world of dating, love and intimacy; as well as moving through a profoundly emotional period. The widowed must find a way to accept and deal with these oftentimes conflicting and confusing emotions while being expected to "carry on and carry forward" by those around them. The widowed must also adjust financially and legally; as well as be available to children that inevitably look to their surviving parent for guidance and support. Whether newly widowed or widowed for many years, those who has suffered the loss of a spouse have many questions that need answering and they likely know no one who is adequately qualified to answer those questions.
Award-winning author and grief recovery expert, Carole Brody Fleet follows up the critically Widows Wear Stilettos with the aptly-titled, Happily Even After , the first and only book of its kind; answering the most common questions that the widowed generally have both immediately following a spouse's death as well as months and even years thereafter. These questions are excerpted from thousands of actual letters received by the author and the responses are from the author's own perspective; based upon considerable personal and professional experience and insight.
Since the questions featured are the more commonly asked questions by those who are themselves widowed, readers will likely find answers to most of the questions that they have concerning widowhood; dealing with everything from child rearing as a widowed parent to coping with relatives who fancy themselves financial wizards, to the "rules of intimacy"...and a wide-ranging variety of subjects in between. In her warm, witty and wise tone, Carole walks widows through the shock and overwhelming sadness and back into the land of the living. Whether you are a young woman in the early years of a marriage, a Golden Anniversary celebrant or a "widow of the heart" who lost a significant other with no legal claims, Fleet will hold your hand and offer you practical tools for any problem you may face. Most importantly, Happily EVEN After will help you reclaim YOU.
The issues that surround the loss of a spouse are numerous and complex. A very small sampling of these issues include helping children cope with a parent's death, re-entering the workplace and eventually re-entering the world of dating, love and intimacy; as well as moving through a profoundly emotional period. The widowed must find a way to accept and deal with these oftentimes conflicting and confusing emotions while being expected to "carry on and carry forward" by those around them. The widowed must also adjust financially and legally; as well as be available to children that inevitably look to their surviving parent for guidance and support. Whether newly widowed or widowed for many years, those who has suffered the loss of a spouse have many questions that need answering and they likely know no one who is adequately qualified to answer those questions.
Award-winning author and grief recovery expert, Carole Brody Fleet follows up the critically Widows Wear Stilettos with the aptly-titled, Happily Even After , the first and only book of its kind; answering the most common questions that the widowed generally have both immediately following a spouse's death as well as months and even years thereafter. These questions are excerpted from thousands of actual letters received by the author and the responses are from the author's own perspective; based upon considerable personal and professional experience and insight.
Since the questions featured are the more commonly asked questions by those who are themselves widowed, readers will likely find answers to most of the questions that they have concerning widowhood; dealing with everything from child rearing as a widowed parent to coping with relatives who fancy themselves financial wizards, to the "rules of intimacy"...and a wide-ranging variety of subjects in between. In her warm, witty and wise tone, Carole walks widows through the shock and overwhelming sadness and back into the land of the living. Whether you are a young woman in the early years of a marriage, a Golden Anniversary celebrant or a "widow of the heart" who lost a significant other with no legal claims, Fleet will hold your hand and offer you practical tools for any problem you may face. Most importantly, Happily EVEN After will help you reclaim YOU.
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 6, 2020
I have a hard time putting the 5-stars-available rating system to non-fiction, which has such a range of "-ilities" -- readability, reliability, suitability, usefulility... well, you know what I mean. To me, this was about a 2.8, which I'm happy to round up because this may actually be YOUR cup of tea, Dear Reader.
So, it's a book about coping with what comes after you've been widowed. Chapter titles are rather long, but they roughly correspond to "Immediate Needs", "Grieving", "What's Appropriate", "Financial", "Dating", "Love", "Intimacy", "Children/Family", "Remarriage", and "Life".
My issues with the book are these: this is a question/answer format, with both being pulled from the author's widow-support website. This makes it like the author is not writing to make a point I can use, but to get to press quickly. Further, there is a brief nod near the beginning that widowers can use this too, but that's about it for the husband's side of the loss equation. This is a woman's book, through and through -- men can glean from it, but it is not addressed to the widower.
There is a current through the book of don't go by how others judge you -- absolutely true. The "judgers" haven't been through this loss, or know our feelings. On the other hand, I feel there is a need to acknowledge, even when the judgemental or the insensitive are painful, that they are also troubled people. (That wasn't well-said...) It is another idiosyncracy that makes Ms. Fleet's guidance feel two-dimensional.
Well, I probably got $15 worth of advice out of the book... putting it up-for-grabs on BookMooch and eventually amazon. But you know who really paid off in my widower's journey? My local hospice. Awesome people. Donate to yours.
So, it's a book about coping with what comes after you've been widowed. Chapter titles are rather long, but they roughly correspond to "Immediate Needs", "Grieving", "What's Appropriate", "Financial", "Dating", "Love", "Intimacy", "Children/Family", "Remarriage", and "Life".
My issues with the book are these: this is a question/answer format, with both being pulled from the author's widow-support website. This makes it like the author is not writing to make a point I can use, but to get to press quickly. Further, there is a brief nod near the beginning that widowers can use this too, but that's about it for the husband's side of the loss equation. This is a woman's book, through and through -- men can glean from it, but it is not addressed to the widower.
There is a current through the book of don't go by how others judge you -- absolutely true. The "judgers" haven't been through this loss, or know our feelings. On the other hand, I feel there is a need to acknowledge, even when the judgemental or the insensitive are painful, that they are also troubled people. (That wasn't well-said...) It is another idiosyncracy that makes Ms. Fleet's guidance feel two-dimensional.
Well, I probably got $15 worth of advice out of the book... putting it up-for-grabs on BookMooch and eventually amazon. But you know who really paid off in my widower's journey? My local hospice. Awesome people. Donate to yours.
October 15, 2021
Great book full of practical advice for widows. Love the question/answer reference-like format. Finding it to be a good resource for individuals in the widows support group I’m leading—we’ve incorporated the opening poem into group as an opening ritual.
August 26, 2015
Great book
My husband passed away less than a year ago the pain is unreal but this book has help me to believe that my life may not be over this journey that I was thrown into is on of the hardest journey that I have ever walk on
My husband passed away less than a year ago the pain is unreal but this book has help me to believe that my life may not be over this journey that I was thrown into is on of the hardest journey that I have ever walk on
January 15, 2015
Very practical advice for moving forward after the death of a spouse.
March 1, 2025
Addressed specifically to widows, but friends of widows can also pick up some valuable insights.
April 8, 2016
Helpful
This was helpful in moving forward after a loss. I will re-read in a few months. I cried at times.
This was helpful in moving forward after a loss. I will re-read in a few months. I cried at times.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews