It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood [Hardcover]

Phyllis Greene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2001

In December 1998, after fifty-six years of marriage, Phyllis Greene went from being part of the lifelong unit of "Phyllis and Bob" to being just plain Phyllis.

To deal with her feelings, she began keeping a journal. Unable to find books with a personal perspective on widowhood, she realized her own reflections could speak to the thousands of women like her, each one with very different yet very similar day-to-day experiences. It Must Have Been Moonglow chronicles the emotional roller coaster of her first years alone in a collection of brief essays, like diary entries, that capture the sadness, the humor, and the triumphs all widows encounter.

She writes about the challenges presented by a quiet, empty house and how best to fill the hours. "Your heart may feel like stone, but your mind needs to keep going,"she says. With wit and insight, she muses about the logistics of an evening out with a group of single, older women, none of whom drive very well; about handling the check when going to dinner with a couple; about marketing for one; and about the miracle of friendships on the Internet and the blessings of family.

It Must Have Been Moonglow is an intimate, candid, and engaging memoir, not about grief but about inspiration and strength.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When she was in her 80s, Greene's husband of 56 years, Bob, died. These plainspoken and unassuming ruminations on her first two years without him are based on a journal she began three weeks after his death. Greene does not claim to have any perspective on widowhood other than the purely personal; she writes of her memoir, "[i]t is helping me even as I hope it helps those who might read it." She shares how she coped with sleepless nights, making decisions by herself, traveling alone and simply missing Bob's companionship, covering specifics like being a single party guest and deciding what to do with Bob's antique gun (she sold it). Energetic and optimistic, Greene eventually found solace in friends, family and volunteer work. "Your heart may feel like stone," she writes, "but your mind needs to keep going." She also discovered the pleasure of using a computer and joining an online book discussion group. Shortly after Bob died, Greene's heart condition worsened, forcing her to get a pacemaker. She describes muddling through that frightening experience with the help of her brother and children, but without the husband who had been the most important person in her life. (On sale Sept. 25)Forecast: Given that elderly, widowed women outnumber widowed men by three to two, according to the author, this book is commercially promising. Middle-class widows with grown children (Greene has three) who had long, happy marriages will be her primary readers; a six-city author tour should help her reach them.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"In an effort to chart my own road to acceptance (I think it is there, somewhere ahead), I began to keep a journal on December 31, three weeks after my husband’s death. Now, as I look back, I wonder if I have walked a mile or one hundred, if I am out in front or lagging way behind, if there is a "norm," and might it help me, and if there are others who may read this who would share my journey as I go? I would welcome the company."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Villard (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375506195
• ISBN-13: 978-0375506192
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOVED AND LOST!, November 2, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood (Hardcover)

One need not lose a spouse or partner to appreciate the feelings and emotions that run rampant through the pages of this beautiful book. It is all about grieving, losing, coping, planning and making the decision to go on anyway. While the book is apparently aimed at middle-aged women who had long, happy marriages, according to editorial reviews, the book is also invaluable to those who have suffered through a divorce or simply lost someone very special from their life for any reason. Loneliness, emptiness, despair, and fear, know no boundaries.

"It Must Have Been Moonglow" is inspirational, sad, joyful and a whole basket full of mixed emotions. What the author must have felt while writing the book is not much different than anyone who has loved and lost. What sets the author apart from the rest of the world is that she has a unique ability to be able to express herself in words that many others cannot do quite as eloquently. This is a beautifully moving, sensitive book and most deserving of a five-star rating.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unbiased words, November 7, 2001

By 

tim greene (steamboat springs, colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood (Hardcover)

On this day especially, reading Peter Maclean's review of "It Must Have Been Moonglow" warmed me like no other. As biased as I obviously am, reading Mr. Maclean's unbiased and glowing review confirmed what I have always known. My mother sure can write! From a very proud son: you have to read "It Must Have Been Moonglow". Dare 3 7

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joyous Read About Grief and Loss, September 27, 2001

By 

Stuart Lazarus - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood (Hardcover)

Anyone who has experienced a significant loss must read this book! It is not just for widows. There is much for all of us here. Moonglow is neither preachy nor maudlin. Rather, Mrs. Greene tells her story of "getting by" and "getting through" after the death of her husband. And, after any loss, getting by and getting through is sometimes the most people can expect of themselves. Mrs. Greene's poignant descriptions of her life with her family and friends are touching and sometimes laced with humor as well. Her story is uplifting.