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clair_82's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
My Mourning Year opens up by giving a brief history of Andrew and Thom's relationship from when they met in Spain in 1989 to Thom's death in 1997 however the focus of this book is how Andrew copes the 12 months after Thom's death - from organising a funeral in a foreign country, the support he receives from Thom's family and friends in Germany, strained relationships with his own family and into learning to have a new 'normal' after Thom.
I can see how Marshall's friends found this useful to read when going though difficult times themselves as it is raw and honest - from both the selfish depths of despair to being able to let people in and move forward. At points this is difficult to read but grief is difficult, Marshall opens up the reader's eyes to the realism of losing the love of your life. Marshall goes into both the emotional and practical elements of grief, becoming attached to things which are actually no replacement for the person who has gone. I'm sure most people will relate to elements covered in the book - this is bordering on a self-help book but with an interesting perspective; it isn't patronising by telling the reader how to deal with their grief - instead Marshall is sharing how he worked through his during the 1st year of loss to help others work through theirs, whilst recognising it is something you never get over and will be with you, in some sense, forever.
I commend Marshall's bravery and selflessness in sharing his memoir with the world in order to help others.
My Mourning Year opens up by giving a brief history of Andrew and Thom's relationship from when they met in Spain in 1989 to Thom's death in 1997 however the focus of this book is how Andrew copes the 12 months after Thom's death - from organising a funeral in a foreign country, the support he receives from Thom's family and friends in Germany, strained relationships with his own family and into learning to have a new 'normal' after Thom.
I can see how Marshall's friends found this useful to read when going though difficult times themselves as it is raw and honest - from both the selfish depths of despair to being able to let people in and move forward. At points this is difficult to read but grief is difficult, Marshall opens up the reader's eyes to the realism of losing the love of your life. Marshall goes into both the emotional and practical elements of grief, becoming attached to things which are actually no replacement for the person who has gone. I'm sure most people will relate to elements covered in the book - this is bordering on a self-help book but with an interesting perspective; it isn't patronising by telling the reader how to deal with their grief - instead Marshall is sharing how he worked through his during the 1st year of loss to help others work through theirs, whilst recognising it is something you never get over and will be with you, in some sense, forever.
I commend Marshall's bravery and selflessness in sharing his memoir with the world in order to help others.
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