The Dead Wife's Handbook

December 1, 2014

Beckerman's debut novel follows the afterlife of Rachel, a 36-year-old whose untimely death rocks the world of her husband, Max, and six-year-old daughter, Ellie. Residing in a hellish purgatory of sorts, Rachel is occasionally given glimpses of the world below, similar to Susie Salmon watching her family in Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. Time in Rachel's world moves at the same speed as Max and Ellie's, but her peeks are sometimes hours, weeks, or even months apart. The time between is passed alone, filled with contemplation and often misery, surrounded by complete emptiness. She watches as her family and friends respond to the initial shock of her death and then begin to move on. Everything from her daughter's grief-stricken tantrums to her husband inviting a new woman into what used to be their marriage bed is described in painstaking detail. Rachel travels through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's stages of grief as she comes to terms with her death and the continuation of life on Earth. VERDICT This painful yet thought-provoking read is emotionally draining at best and recommended for people who enjoy a good cry.--Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
Rachel Myerson and her husband, Max, have everything they've ever wanteda bright, funny daughter, Ellie; career success and enough help from their in-laws to go out to fancy restaurants on special occasions. It's during just such an outing that Rachel's heart gives out, the result of a microscopic defect she never knew existed. Suddenly, Rachel's stuck in an in-between place, very much deceased but able to see glimpses of her family at the most unpredictable times. As Rachel witnesses her family's mourning, and their individual ideas of progress in the face of grief, she comes to understand more about herself and her family than she ever thought possible. Beckerman has crafted an emotionally driven story of one woman's journey to acceptance through the lenses of loss, envy, and personal growth. Beckerman's use of her heroine as the ultimate omniscient narrator is not a new conceit, but being immersed in Rachel's emotional progress is equally heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Catherine Ryan Hyde will enjoy this first novel for its illuminating, introspective story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)