In the Unlikely Event of a Water Landing:: A Geography of Grief

In 1992, Noel's fiancee, Brigid, in her late 20s, was killed in an automobile accident in Vermont. In this memoir the author, who heads the writing program at the University of Vermont, describes the grief-stricken years he experienced after her death. This account includes diary excerpts written by Brigid as well as letters the author wrote to her after she died. Noel moved from Vermont to Massachusetts and pursued several relationships with other women in an unsuccessful attempt to lessen his pain. A trip to Belize in British Honduras, where he transcended his feelings by scuba diving, was more helpful. Although Noel's grief is deeply felt, his comments occasionally veer from reflection to self-absorption, and his description of the troubled sex life he shared with Brigid strikes a jarring note. (June)