Good Riddance: An Illustrated Memoir of Divorce

Parenting humorist Copeland (Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me) shares her life lessons on relationships in this memoir of a broken heart, a broken relationship, and ultimately hope. Copeland thought her family was perfect—until the day that she found out her husband had been having an affair behind her back. A free spirit in a midlife crisis, Copeland’s husband resented being settled down; their separation sent her stable world spiraling as she tried to keep things as normal as possible for her children, while it enabled her husband to embrace a more bohemian lifestyle. Copeland’s light-hearted and comical artwork, reminiscent of Roz Chast’s, takes some of the sting out of her sorrows, allowing readers to nod in sympathy or chuckle at her missteps. But all of Copeland’s struggles lead to a stronger life—one in which Copeland has a more realistic view of her family and herself. Readers who have enjoyed Copeland’s sage and funny wisdom about raising children will enjoy this look into a different side of her life. Her even-handed treatment of all the characters, including her ex-husband, is refreshing—there is no malice, only moving on from sorrow to better things. Reviewed from an unfinished galley. (May)