By Leah Hager Cohen (384 pages)
Published by Riverhead
Bookish rating: 4
The Ryrie family suffers the loss of an infant child within 57 hours of its birth. In short, we open with heartbreaking tragedy, the depth and angst of which is quietly portrayed in the maternity ward---a contrast so fabulously painful to read, I was in tears by page 2.
For better or worse, the novel begins with this severe drama; the rest of the story explores how each member of the family copes with the loss. The characters are flawed, a tad narcissistic, and . . . struggling. Cohen's writing is gentle and unassuming and profound. She's one of those authors who can take small pieces of characters and give a wonderfully complex reflection of him or her.
Some criticism? Cohen focuses too much on the dad. Perhaps because I'm a mom who has birthed two babies, I lost interest in him at times and wanted her to get back to the mom.
Overall, Cohen's choice of title is an apt one. Here, she explores the distance that grief generates in people, even in those who have suffered the same loss. The fact that it's so personal, so weird, so difficult for others to "get." I say this as someone who has never lost too horribly.
Recommended.
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