In this heartwarming, character-driven novel, the author explores the ways in which people navigate and (hopefully) survive deep grief.
As A Quiet Life opens, Chuck Ayers is wandering around the home he shared for decades with his wife. She has recently died of cancer and he's at a loss as to what he should do next. Coupled with that loss is unresolved guilt about a disagreement they had and his regret at not realizing the pain he caused, not only to his wife, but to another. While Chuck is dealing with the loss of his wife, two others, a forty-something woman, Ella, and a 19-year-old, Kirsten, each faces her own battle with grief and the struggle to press onward. Their stories, parallel at first and then beginning to intersect, are drawn with empathy and will resonate for any reader who has experienced loss.
I can't remember where I heard about this book/author, but whoever/whereever it was? Thank you. If you're looking for a action-packed book? This isn't that. What it is, is an emotionally engaging story of grief and loss, but also hope and resilience. Nicely done.