Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change

by Marilyn Nutter

65 interactive reflections guide widows to move from loss toward hope.
 
Hope for Widows is a valuable source of encouragement and comfort as you adjust to your new normal and reimagine an active life with purpose in your future. With personal reflections, questions, and expressions of gratitude, join Marilyn Nutter in recognizing God’s faithful presence in details and unusual places. 
 
Having lost her husband of 42 years, Marilyn offers 65 brief readings that cover widows’ universal experiences with empathy and poignant honesty. She applies Scripture to grief and mourning and looks with transparency at how widowhood dramatically changes a woman’s life. Amid the readings are opportunities to journal treasured memories, reflect on the additional losses that accompany the death of a spouse, and appreciate unexpected gifts. 
 
This book presents the truth of Scripture to combat lies you may be prone to believe in your newly single life, shares quotes related to loss, offers prayers from the Bible, and provides exercises to build trust by looking at the character of God from A to Z. Read this book on your own or find topics helpful for discussion in women’s ministries or grief support groups.
 
Though nothing can fix this irreversible loss, Hope for Widows offers connections in your grief, guiding you to see hope, grace, and camaraderie on an unfamiliar path.
 

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

Reviews

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the book anyone dreams of. Who in a happy relationship wants to face the death of a partner? And yet, of course, this is a part of life. Sadly, two friends of mine are currently in the early stages of figuring out this new identity.

The author of this book understands what it means to become a widow. Nutter knows that it is a change of immense magnitude. She tries to gently guide and offer support to the members of this (unwanted) club. 

The reflections in this book are divided into chapters. A few of these are titled Some Widows Say, Gratitude List, Spiraling, and The Presence of a Friend. Each chapter has a number of short entries. There are suggestions in them for building on the entries with reflections and thoughts. There are also a number of quotes about grief scattered through the pages.

Our Daily Bread is a religious publisher but I don’t think one has to be Christian to find some solace in these pages. Take a look at  this one for someone you know and sadly, perhaps for yourself one day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Our Daily Bread Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change is an honest, memorable look at the author’s experiences as a widow and lessons she has learned. The tragedy and challenges of becoming a widow – the many layers of grief – are not sugarcoated, yet the book is far from being a pity party. As the title says, the stories and struggles and reality checks are infused with hope (or treasures, as they’re called). The reliance on God to get through each day is evident throughout: “Even though some life events come without warning and are unreasonable, God’s grace and faithfulness meet us in each one.”

Grief is individual and personal, but that doesn’t mean you have to face everything alone. For women experiencing widowhood, Hope for Widows validates what they’re feeling and offers advice on how to keep moving forward in their new version of life. For those who are not widowed, it’s a powerful, insightful look at what these women are going through. Reading Hope for Widows gave me an entirely new perspective on widowhood. I hope it will help me be a more compassionate, understanding friend and supporter for women I know who are widows.

I highly recommend it for women’s ministry leaders, pastors, grief counselors, or anyone who knows and loves a widow and wants to better understand what she’s going through.

[Jeannie Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every widow will find comfort, encouragement, and practical help in Hope for Widows. Readers will know Marilyn Nutter understands and longs to share how she’s learned to live a productive life. She candidly describes her pain from the moment she heard devastating news to the present. Each season she explores in the book reveals how her faith in God buoys her when grief engulfs her and how the practical advice and journal prompts she includes can help others. From filing taxes to painting her house, she opens her heart through her pen to show raw grief and a path to hope. Woven throughout the book is wise advice for those of us who offer comfort to widows. One reassuring quote is as follows: “Even though some life events come without warning and are unseasonable, God’s grace and faithfulness meet us in each one.”

[Wendy J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I struggle to read books about grief. I am afraid to bring up some of the very difficult memories of becoming a widow. When Marilyn Nutter asked me to read this book, I absolutely felt like I was walking though my journey with a precious friend. So many of her experiences were the same as mind. It was such a blessing and encouragement to know that I am not alone in this journey. She gives many portions of Scripture to support her thoughts and I have decided to make many of them my Scripture memory verses for this new year. This book is helpful for those who have just stepped into this journey and for those who have been on this road for many years.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Marilyn wrote about moving from one season into another, that really resonated with me. Ifelt that. I lived that.
When she talked about moving from her home and God preparing her for that. I lived and felt that too.
The part about becoming a widow being more than just the loss of your spouse, it's all the secondary losses. But then there is also secondary growth. I feel that.
This memoir/journal style book may provide comfort and clarity to other widows if only in showing them that they are not alone in how they feel.

[Melissa Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this amazing book, I kept thinking how it will not only help widows, but will help anyone grieving. I know many widows and am inspired by their strength and courage. This author writes from personal experience and shares ways we can be compassionate and loving to widows. From simple things like listening, preparing a meal, inviting a widow to church, including widows in other events, and more, this book is inspiring and heartfelt. Everyone should read this book. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.

[Barbara Latta · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are searching for a book to encourage a widow, or if you are a widow yourself and need some help to climb out of your grief, this book is for you. Marilyn Nutter has written Hope for Widows from her own experience due to the loss of her husband. She shares from her heart and her vulnerability can identify with the roller coaster emotions of those going through this painful time. The tips and reflections provide ways to climb out of despair and know there is hope waiting in the future. I highly recommend this book.

[Crickett Keeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marilyn Nutter’s book, Hope for Widows, meets a need that is all around us—the pain of widowhood. The author shares her personal journey of walking through a new chapter of life after losing her husband suddenly and unexpectedly. Other widows can easily identify and find encouragement from the author’s journey. Even though this book is focused on widows, it’s for anyone who has lost a loved one (spouse, child, parent, friend). It has ministered to me in so many ways. There’s hope and encouragement for everyone in this book. I highly recommend it. And it would make a great gift!

[Katherine Pasour · Rating 5 out of 5]

The death of a loved one, especially a spouse, brings deep sorrow. It is during these times that we most need the support of those who understand the depth of our grief and provide hope and encouragement. In Hope for Widows, Marilyn Nutter delves straight into the hard reality of grief. She shares understanding, honesty, and connection to help anyone on the painful journey of mourning. As a recent widow, I am deeply touched and comforted by the personal reflections, devotions, and message of hope found in Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change.

[J.D. Wininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did a masterful job of relating her personal experiences to how those same emotions, feelings, doubts, fears, and challenges affect nearly every widow at some level. Her ability to link them to a promise on God's Word delivers on the book's promise of providing hope when it seems little exists. While its primary audience may be women who have suffered the loss of their spouse, the lessons shared are applicable to anyone who is experiencing the loss of a loved one who was not only a spouse but a companion and best friend. Hope for Widows reminds us that our tomorrow is in His hands.

[Shirley Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartfelt book that not only encourages and brings hope to widows, but also points the reader to a peace that will come in the days ahead. The author shares her story, her grief, her true inner feelings, and how she, with much grace, traveled the road of losing her husband, and the all the challenges that walk hand-in-hand with the loss of a spouse. Highly recommend for anyone who has experienced the traumatic loss of a spouse whether recent or in the past.

[CandyceCarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope for Widows will comfort all who are facing the lonely path of widowhood. Marilyn Nutter uses poignant vignettes as she shares her journey of grief and how she found—and continues to find— treasured moments of hope. Suggested reflection questions and journal prompts are excellent and will help readers as they process unimaginable grief.

[April Dawn White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope for Widows is a salve for the sorrowful soul. Written with elegance and authenticity, Marilyn Nutter uses her experience to anoint women with hope and encouragement. This is a book to share with loved ones.

[Nyla Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope for Widows (Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change) by author Marilyn Nutter is a Christian book to help those grieving the loss of their husband. She understands first hand what it means to be a widow and the pain that accompanies it.

The author’s style of writing is open and transparent. It feels like having a chat with a friend. Her reflections are divided into chapters. Some titles are: Some Widows Say, Gratitude List, Spiraling, and The Presence of a Friend. The chapters have a variety of short messages. I found assistance and suggestions in with the writing as well as reflections and thoughts. This book should help other widows realize that there are many others in the same situation. I enjoyed the various quotes sprinkled through the pages.

I would recommend this thoughtful book to that widow in your life that needs help. Sometimes a book in the solitude of one’s home offers a breath of fresh air is a smothering situation. It gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from this widow. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest words.