This is probably not the best book to read while you are sitting in the emergency department next to your husband who is in the hospital bed (mild allergic reaction — he’s just fine now!); however, it does speak to the power of Elizabeth Alexander’s words that she was able to transport me from a crowded waiting area full of tragedy into her own devastating time of grief that transformed her life.
The Light of the World is a memoir about Elizabeth’s husband, their marriage, his death, and her rising from the aftermath of loss to find hope and light again. This book came highly recommended by many people in the literary world and was a “best book of 2015” pick. I wasn’t familiar with Alexander’s work before this book, but her writing is as beautiful as promised.
A short summary — the author’s husband dies while running just days after his fiftieth birthday, ending the years of happiness they had found together and ushering in a traumatic new season of learning to live without the light of her and her children’s lives. Despite this extremely sad premise, Alexander manages to leave you hopeful and happy, eager to reminisce with her through the childhood years that made her husband who he was, and through the joyful times they shared together. Her poetic style of writing is captivating, and though we differ on our views of God, I enjoyed this well crafted book that celebrates love, marriage, family, and the beauty each one of us brings to the world.
Author’s Website: Elizabeth Alexander
The Light of the World on Amazon
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[…] — A beautiful memoir about love, marriage, family, loss, and hope. This book was the extraordinary everyday book of the week last week. […]