Customer Reviews

After

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I live in the Washington, DC area, so I loved the locale of the book, recognizing the names of the streets and stores. But what I really loved is the plot--that of following a widower coming through his grief. So often men die first. The story of a man surviving, and then finding a new life is really refreshing. And there are enough false starts in the story, as he finds his way, both with his children and with friends, that the story line flows quickly. A number of years ago, I read this author's non-fiction book, Crazy Love, and I was sorry to see that her other writing was primarily for youngsters. She has done a great job with this new book. I'll look for more from her.

How wonderful to see first-rate fiction written from a middle-aged point of view that's neither sappy nor faux-hip. This is a beautifully told story of love, loss and renewal. I was suspicious that Naylor, best known as a children's writer, might not be up to the task, but she manages beautifully. Highly recommended as a good read...but with considerable depth as well. Try this one. You won't regret it.

I've been a fan of Naylor's since reading her "K-Mart realism" novel, Unexpected Pleasures years ago. Although primarily a children's author, Naylor's written a handful of adult novels of which this is one of the best. After tells the story of the first 12 months of a 56-year-old man's adjustment to being a widower.

The novel begins the day after Harry Gill's much loved wife's funeral and Naylor takes us through some difficult but deftly rendered territory. She gets a lot right in this novel: the debilitating disorientation of the newly bereaved, the ineffectiveness of well-meaning friends and family members attempts to comfort, the overwhelming sense of aloneness felt by the remaining spouse, the insistence of daily living that keeps the bereaved functioning, and the inextricable connection between sexuality and death.

In spite of the subject matter, this book is by no means a downer. There's a lot of amusing and irreverent humor in it. Harry may be drowning in grief but there's too much going on around him he can't ignore, including a daughter whose husband "disappears" the day after the funeral, a son who's running from loan sharks, a crazy invitation he makes to a sensual neighbor woman, a statue of the Virgin Mary at his statuary repair shop that's "weeping" from one eye--and the discovery of a secret about his wife that forces him to re-examine everything he ever assumed about her and their marriage.

This is a good novel for summer reading. Well written with an intriguing plot and an adult look at something many of us will have to face someday. The Washington Post called After, "popular fiction for intelligent readers, something always in short supply and always welcome." I heartily agree.