Synopsis
Picture the kind of enduring love that most of us would wish for; the kind of elderly, married couple we might see on the street, or in a café, so in tune with each other that it’s hard to imagine one without the other.
John and Elizabeth have a love like that, but John’s world is suddenly shattered when Elizabeth is brutally taken from him. For some people it can feel as though it’s just too difficult to go on when one half of you is missing. How will John cope with his broken heart? Who, or what, can help him?
Kevin McLeod is a best-selling children’s author, but this is his first adult short story, inspired by the love his grandparents shared. Kevin writes beautifully, in heart-rending detail, about the numbness, shock, and crushing grief that John faces. He explores challenges that we will all face when someone we love dies, made all the more poignant by his tender evocation of a long and happy marriage.
‘She Died On A Monday’ is a story of love and loss that you’ll want to read time and again, to enjoy each perfect detail and the clever twists and turns. But, be warned, you might just cry every time that you do.
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Review
I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
First off, I loved this book. I don’t usually go for stories that are not upbeat. To me, it is extremely difficult to write a novel that has a sad undertone without being too much. I loved the way this was written. I felt the author pull from what he knows to write this book. There was so much depth to the novel. I found myself drawn to the book on a whole new level. I connected my experiences with the ones that were written and felt my own pain coming through. A good cry while reading is not always bad.
I always talk about characters and love a well written one. To me, there was a new character and it was not a person. Let’s talk about the character we’re all wondering about: death. That connects completely with the title of each chapter. I think that is absolutely amazing. It is not a story for the light hearted. It is full of pain, but in a way where you can relate it to your own grief and overcoming the hardest pain that you can experience.
My Rating: I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. While wonderfully written, I do not think my heart can take another read anytime soon. I usually say I am wanting more, but in this case, it was perfect and haunting. My 1 star down is not for the writing, but my own wanting to read it for a second time. I do not think this should detract you from reading this book. The disclaimer I have would be to know beforehand the context of the book. If you are not in the mindset to read anything sad, I would wait a little bit before you read it.
On Review by Sara 