[I’ve read many good books in the past few months. I’m reviewing some of them in a series of blog posts. So, if you’re looking for a summer read, maybe you’ll find a book to enjoy in one of my book review posts. Note: Autumn Equinox begins September 23!]
Why did I read this book?
I follow Lynn Haraldson’s blog. I love her writing — how she expresses herself, how she captures the essence of an experience, and how she weaves the past into the present. After all, our pasts are part of us, always influencing our current lives. She blogs about many things, including some of the events in her memoir An Obesity of Grief. When her book came out, I bought it, certain it would be very good. I was right. I read her book in two nights — on both of them staying up much later than I normally do, telling myself over and over, “I’ll just read one more chapter.”
What is this book about?
Lynn Haraldson is nineteen years old, and deeply in love with her husband Bruce. Their life together — filled with dreams — stretches ahead of them. They plan to be married for seventy-five years. They have recently taken over the farm owned by Bruce’s parents, who have retired. They are the joyful parents of an eleven-day-old baby girl. Then Bruce dies in an accident.
The day Bruce dies begins as an ordinary day. Lynn takes care of their infant daughter while Bruce leaves the house to tend to the farm. But Lynn never sees Bruce again. He dies in a tractor-train collision. Filled with grief, she wants to see her husband’s body, to touch his hand, to say goodbye. But people tell her she shouldn’t because it will traumatize her, better to remember Bruce as she knew him. Because Lynn is nineteen, older adults treat her more like a child than a grown woman who has just lost her husband.
After Bruce’s death, Lynn tries to hide her grief, telling people that she is just fine. But her grief won’t stay put. It manifests itself in two failed marriages, in gaining and losing over one-hundred pounds twice, and in recurring nightmares featuring Bruce. She struggles with a nagging question: How could Bruce not see or hear the oncoming train?
For years, even though Lynn’s life moves forward in some ways, she remains stuck in a cycle of grief-driven behaviors until she begins therapy, confronting Bruce’s death and her grief.
What makes this book memorable?
Haraldson tells her story with unflinching honesty. If readers have experienced a tragic loss, reading An Obesity of Grief will help them understand they are not alone in their thoughts about grief and their struggles with it. If readers haven’t experienced the type of profound loss Haralson confronts, the book will help them understand the impact of grief because chances are they know someone who has faced the untimely death of a spouse or loved one.
Haraldson’s prose is both lean and powerful. She tells her story, moving back and forth in time, building suspense for her readers, taking them along with her on her journey. And as she grapples with the painful memories and emotions surrounding her grief, she gives readers a memoir that is deeply moving, insightful, and offers hope.
[I’d like to give a shout-out to the cover art on Haraldson’s book. It’s stunning and haunting, and it captures the essence of her memoir.]
Writing Near the Lake 
OMG, Vickie, thank you SO MUCH for not only reading my book, but for this beautiful, honest review. You know how much I love and respect your writing so this is an honor. I really can’t thank you enough.
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You are very welcome. My fear when I wrote the review is that my words wouldn’t match how wonderful the book is. My friend, who is not a writer, reads my book reviews, and after reading my book review for An Obesity of Grief, she wants to read your book! So, I guess I did okay with conveying my feelings about your book. It’s such a tender, important story. Please feel free to post a link to the review if you think it will reach more readers that way. Also, feel free to quote all or part of the review. I posted a slightly shorter version of the review on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and GoodReads. Are you doing book talks at bookstores?
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I posted a link to the review on my social media as soon as I read it LOL And thank you for the reviews on B&N, etc. I’m trying to get to that magic number 50 on Amazon. I live in such a remote location that I don’t have any real relationship with “local” bookstores. The closest one is 50 miles away, unfortunately. I’ve done all my promotion online. I’m available for book clubs and other meet-ups via Zoom/Google Meets, though!
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I’m glad you posted the review and used it to promote your book. It is a wonderful book. I’m going to contact Lake Superior Writers to see if they would be interested in having you do an author reading, talk, and Q & A with them. They are a northern Minnesota writing group with members in Wisconsin and other places. You might be a good fit for their Book Club for Writers series because you lived in Minnesota and part of your book takes place in Minnesota.
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Thanks for recommending me! As I said earlier, I live in such a remote area that there aren’t any bookstores nearby, and as far as I’ve been able to find, only one statewide writers’ organization, but sadly, no members in my area. I don’t know how rural writers did any kind of promotion before the internet.
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I will let you know if Lake Superior Writers gets back to me. Have a nice day!
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Great book review, Vickie! Sounds like a worthwhile read.
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It was a well-written, engaging book with important themes surrounding death and grief.
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Wonderful review. The book sounds amazing and something to consider for my bookclub. Thank you.
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Thanks, Diana. The book was amazing, and so engaging.
If you are interested in doing the book for your book club, Lynn Haraldson told me that she will attend a book club meeting via Zoom or Google meets. The book has some very interesting themes around death, grief, and family. Plus, it’s very well written. Here is her blog site: https://zenbaglady.com/ She has a Contact option at the top of her blog site.
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Perfect. Thank you Vickie. I’ll read the book and then talk with the group about a meeting.
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Diana, I loved your blog “There Was an Old Woman . . . ” I’ve tried several times to comment on it, but it seems like my comments won’t post. So I thought I’d reach out this way.
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Thank you, Vickie. I’ll check on the website to see why.
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