Many thanks to NetGalley and Counterpoint Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Liz Tichenor - 5 stars for a devastatingly beautiful glimpse into the personal loss of Tichenor's 40-day-old baby boy.
Liz and Jesse Tichenor were settling into their life in Lake Tahoe, with Jesse running a religious camp and Liz an Episcopalian priest, dividing her duties between the camp and a church in Reno. Liz's mother's death by suicide after long-time alcoholism issues was still a gaping hole that she was dealing with. They were parents of 2-year-old Alice and newborn Fritz. When Fritz inexplicably died in the middle of the night, their world collapsed. This is the story of how Liz found her way through her grief with her faith, her friends and family, and running.
This book is raw and real. I'm not sure I've ever read such a intimate look into someone's grief and how she dealt with it on a daily basis. Liz had to not only deal with her and her husband's grief but had to explain to Alice what happened to Fritz. And how could she stand in front of her congregation and speak of hope and positivity when her world had caved in? There were so many touching moments in this book - Liz is remarkably blessed with a community of friends who were there for her in such a close and personal way. I loved the baby shower idea with the handwritten notes and how friends opened their hearts and homes for Liz and Jesse and helped them process their grief together. I loved the spirituality in this book and the visions Liz had that helped her move forward. Ultimately, this is a story of hope in moving forward into a new normal. This is a difficult read but it's also beautifully written - I couldn't put it down.
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