Gigi Levangie Grazer, the New York Times bestselling author of The Starter Wife, returns with a hilarious and spirited tale of love—both lost and found.
L.A. is no place for widows. This is what forty-four-year-old Hannah Bernal quickly discovers after the tragic death of her handsome and loving husband, John. Misery and red-rimmed eyes are little tolerated in the land of the beautiful. But life stumbles on: Hannah’s sweet three-year-old daughter, Ellie, needs to be dropped off at her overpriced preschool, while Hannah herself must get back to work in order to pay the bills on “Casa Sugar,” the charming Spanish-styled bungalow they call home.
Fortunately, Hannah has her “Grief Team” for emotional support: earth mother and fanatical animal lover Chloe, who finds a potential blog post in every moment; aspiring actress Aimee, who has her cosmetic surgeon on speed dial; and Jay, Hannah’s TV producing partner, who has a penchant for Mr. Wrong. But after a series of mishaps and bizarre occurrences, one of which finds Hannah in a posh Santa Monica jail cell, her friends start to fear for her sanity. To make matters worse, John left their financial affairs in a disastrous state. And when Hannah is dramatically fired from her latest producing gig, she finds herself in danger of losing her house, her daughter, and her mind.
One night, standing in her backyard under a majestic avocado tree, in the throes of grief, Hannah breaks down and asks, “Why?” The answer that comes back—Why not?—begins an astounding journey of discovery and transformation that leads Hannah to her own truly extraordinary life after death.
Praise for Gigi Levangie Grazer and The After WifeL.A. is no place for widows. This is what forty-four-year-old Hannah Bernal quickly discovers after the tragic death of her handsome and loving husband, John. Misery and red-rimmed eyes are little tolerated in the land of the beautiful. But life stumbles on: Hannah’s sweet three-year-old daughter, Ellie, needs to be dropped off at her overpriced preschool, while Hannah herself must get back to work in order to pay the bills on “Casa Sugar,” the charming Spanish-styled bungalow they call home.
Fortunately, Hannah has her “Grief Team” for emotional support: earth mother and fanatical animal lover Chloe, who finds a potential blog post in every moment; aspiring actress Aimee, who has her cosmetic surgeon on speed dial; and Jay, Hannah’s TV producing partner, who has a penchant for Mr. Wrong. But after a series of mishaps and bizarre occurrences, one of which finds Hannah in a posh Santa Monica jail cell, her friends start to fear for her sanity. To make matters worse, John left their financial affairs in a disastrous state. And when Hannah is dramatically fired from her latest producing gig, she finds herself in danger of losing her house, her daughter, and her mind.
One night, standing in her backyard under a majestic avocado tree, in the throes of grief, Hannah breaks down and asks, “Why?” The answer that comes back—Why not?—begins an astounding journey of discovery and transformation that leads Hannah to her own truly extraordinary life after death.
“Hilariously funny and profoundly wise, The After Wife is for anyone who’s ever been married or widowed, in debt or in love. I could not put it down: a fabulous read!”—Nancy Thayer, author of Summer Breeze
“[Grazer is] a quick-witted beach book queen.”—The New York Times
“Jackie Collins with a sense of humor.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Grazer’s entertaining satire is sure to spice up any occasion.”—Publishers Weekly
The Bookish Dame Reviews :
Pardon me while I wonder what all the big hoopala is over this book! It's funny and sassy for some, I get that, but it's such a farce about being widowed it bearly deserves a comparison to real life. I really disliked it.
To begin with we're brought into the happy bedroom scene where the protagonist and her soon-to-be-dead husband are enjoying a wonderful moment of marital bliss and where she is happily counting her blessings. The next chapter, we're fighting off sentences, trite and meant to be hilarious about her gay worker/bff's idea of staging her beloved's funeral like a Liz Taylor entourage. The book just deteriorates from there in my opinion.
Of course, I guess I find nothing funny about the death of a husband and the aftermath. Call me a stick in the mud. I couldn't wrap my mind around how funny it was for a little girl to lose her daddy and wonder when he'd come back.
This is a book, I think, for those who haven't experienced the loss of a loved one in their lives. It's a book of jokes and funny takes on LA types...CA movie scene types...those who have a cavalier view of families or wives who have to live with the "after" of a dead spouse and father. Laughable?
Like I said, not my cup of tea.... A waste of my time. I couldn't finish it. Good to know Gigi Levangie Grazer hasn't been widowed, she'd never have written such a book if she were. It's just not funny.
Deborah/The Bookish Dame
2 comments:
I saw this book but never got the chance to read it. I do think the cover is neat. Thanks for the review, Deb.
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Paulette Boyd
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