Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino
ARC from the author, Amazon Publishig and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
It’s 1963, two years since Barbara Feldman’s husband died. Raising two kids, she’s finally emerging from her cocoon of grief. Not yet a butterfly, but she’s anxious to spread her wings. Then one day her mother-in-law, Ruth, shows up on her doorstep with five suitcases, expecting a room of her own with a suitable mattress. Abrasive and stuck in her ways yet well meaning, Mother Ruth arrives without warning to help with the children. How can Barbara say no to a woman who is not only a widow herself but also a grieving mother? As Ruth’s prickly visit turns from days to weeks to what seems like forever, Barbara realizes Ruth has got to go. But Barbara has an ingenious introduce Ruth to some fine gentlemen and marry her off as fast as she can. Soon enough, something tells Barbara that Ruth is trying to do the same for her. At least they’re finding common ground—helping each other to move forward. Even if it is in the most unpredictable ways two totally different women ever imagined.
My Review: 4.25 stars
Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino was an absolute pleasure to hunker down with. Her stories make me laugh and show strong heartfelt relationships.
Confino forces two generations to live in close and somewhat forced proximity to the forefront of the story. Barbara, widowed for two years, is ready to have her own mother fly the coop and begin doing life on her own with her two young kids in tow. After day one with the kids on her own, she feels relieved and happy until she sees Ruth, her mother-in-law at her doorstep. Of course, Ruth wasn’t invited but feels it’s her turn to help.
How can Barbara kick her mother-in-law out when she too is grieving the loss of her son? What follows is heartbreak, heartwarming banter, lots of emotions, and bringing together these two women who come from entirely different eras. The sixties seem so progressive compared to her mother-in-law’s era.
Soon, the two hilariously begin to fix each other up and they find their way forward together. I so enjoyed this one. It was delightful!
Quotes I liked:
Death and taxes may have been the two certainties in life, but if I were in charge, husbands and pets would live exactly as long as we did.”
“A puppy won’t fill the hole left by their father. But you’ll see: puppies make hearts grow so that the hole seems a little smaller.”
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