Ghosting, as defined by the
author, is the absence of an element vital to the enterprise. In this case the enterprise
is marriage and the missing element is her husband.
Grief is a very intense and individual
emotion. No two people experience it in quite the same way. Although there have
been many books written on coping with grief, none are as powerful as the
memoirs of a grief survivor. Barbara Lazear Ascher's Ghosting is such a book.
Ascher was in her early
twenties when she married Bob, a much older man. From the beginning both acknowledged the likelihood that he would predecease her. The pair enjoy an intense, loving relationship
for 35 years before the enviable happens. Ascher discovers, as every griever
does, that it is impossible to prepare oneself for the loss of a loved one. As
she learns that love has no boundaries she comes to the realization that her
husband’s motto “Life is a love story” is indeed true.
The author writes very frankly
about her marriage, her husband’s illness and death and her ensuing sorrow. The
writing is so descriptive the the author’s agony and despair often leap off the page.
The reader also shares in Ascher’s joy as she eventually moves beyond her grief
and begins a new voyage.
Less than 200 pages long with
chapters ranging from a few paragraphs to seven pages, Ghosting is a compelling read.
4.09 stars in Goodreads, 4.3 on
Amazon
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