Confessions of a Mediocre Widow: Or, How I Lost My Husband and My Sanity
Description
I spent my 11th wedding anniversary planning my husband's funeral. If I could just figure out how to make that rhyme, it would be the beginning of a great country song.
Involuntarily single. That's the true story of where Catherine Tidd found herself just three weeks after turning thirty-one. With three children under six years old, no fix-it skills, no clue how to live life as a widow and coping with grief after the death of her spouse, Catherine couldn't help but be a little exasperated with her dead husband for leaving her to deal with life on her own.
Catherine found herself in charge of her life in a way she never wanted to be, in a way that would have most of us reeling and numb. But she soon realized that when you call the shots, you can make pedicures one of the stages of grief--and that moving forward might be more fun in a new sports car. Her honest Confessions of a Mediocre Widow is not your typical book on grief and loss of a spouse, but rather a glimpse into the heartbreaking and sometimes humorous world of a young woman who learns that overcoming grief and healing after loss is possible, and that you can find joy in an unexpected life.
Praise for Confessions of a Mediocre Widow:
"Heartfelt and surprisingly humorous memoir...an ultimately uplifting story, and thanks to Tidd's keen sense of humor her tale never becomes maudlin...Widowers and other readers will find inspiration and useful advice in her candid story." --Publishers Weekly
"This was the only helpful book that I have read about becoming and being a widow. I found myself laughing and listening to Tidd as I would listen to a friend telling her story; she has a voice that is compelling, a story that is real and a book that is an invaluable addition to grief memoirs. " --Bitter/Sweet
"With wit and good humor, Tidd looks back on the time immediately following her husband's death with charming self-deprecation at her seeming inability to be a good widow. Through this, she shows readers that there is no "right way" to grieve. " --Library Journal
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About the Author
Catherine Tidd is a widow, mother, and the founder of theWiddahood.com. She is a contributing author to several anthologies focusing on grief and renewal and a writer for The Denver Post's Mile High Mamas. Originally from Louisiana, Catherine currently lives in Colorado.
Reviews
This was the only helpful book that I have read about becoming and being a widow. I found myself laughing and listening to Tidd as I would listen to a friend telling her story; she has a voice that is compelling, a story that is real and a book that is an invaluable addition to grief memoirs.
There's a world of beauty packed inside Tidd's book...Her mettle: She pours the past seven years onto pages for all of us to read and learn from, particularly her "Tips for widow(er)s and those who support them." Her take-down of the empty platitudes we mutter to people who are suffering ("He's in a better place." "Everything happens for a reason.") should be required reading for all humankind...We'd all do well to follow her lead.
"Heartfelt and surprisingly humorous memoir...an ultimately uplifting story, and thanks to Tidd's keen sense of humor her tale never becomes maudlin...Widowers and other readers will find inspiration and useful advice in her candid story." - Publishers Weekly
"The life of a widow is ever changing and has some very odd "ticks" that come with it...and I feel like Catherine was able to get out on paper what all of us have felt at one moment or an other. This book is a must have for widows, particularly young widows; either in their first 6 months of grief or five years out. " - Susan Soares
"Emotional memoir...Tidd combines indignation and sarcasm with humility, and the result is a moving, helpful look at how to navigate the difficult times that come with tremendous loss. " - Kirkus
"This was the only helpful book that I have read about becoming and being a widow. I found myself laughing and listening to Tidd as I would listen to a friend telling her story; she has a voice that is compelling, a story that is real and a book that is an invaluable addition to grief memoirs. " - Bitter/Sweet
"An amazing book that I couldn't put down and I would recommend to anyone whether they have lost a spouse or not because she is straightforward yet humorous (my husband is dead and Keith Richards is alive?) about how her new life unfolded in the months and years following her husband's death. " - Cry, Laugh, Heal
"With wit and good humor, Tidd looks back on the time immediately following her husband's death with charming self-deprecation at her seeming inability to be a good widow. Through this, she shows readers that there is no "right way" to grieve. " - Library Journal
"There's a world of beauty packed inside Tidd's book...Her mettle: She pours the past seven years onto pages for all of us to read and learn from, particularly her "Tips for widow(er)s and those who support them." Her take-down of the empty platitudes we mutter to people who are suffering ("He's in a better place." "Everything happens for a reason.") should be required reading for all humankind...We'd all do well to follow her lead." - Heidi Stevens - Chicago Tribune
