Confessions of a Mediocre Widow: Or, How I Lost My Husband and My Sanity

At 31, the author of this heartfelt and surprisingly humorous memoir is the happily married mother of three children under the age of five. In the very first pages, however, her world turns upside down when her 34-year-old husband dies from a brain injury following a motorcycle accident. But the grim and shocking opening (she spends three days in the ICU with her husband, emerging as a widow) is followed by an ultimately uplifting story, and thanks to Tidd’s keen sense of humor her tale never becomes maudlin. Instead, she invites readers to come along on her journey of self-discovery, traveling through the stages of grief, healing, and repair, from a state of disbelief and denial to an acceptance and even celebration of life and its capacity to change “in the blink of an eye.” Although Tidd attempts to be “the perfect widow,” she soon finds that putting pressure on herself is not the answer. So whether she is practicing “retail therapy,” facing a meltdown with her youngsters at Costco, or eventually dating, she learns to give herself a pass on perfection. Though the painful loss of her husband is palpable, Tidd eventually realizes that the freedom to find herself again is actually an opportunity for growth. Widowers and other readers will find inspiration and useful advice in her candid story (and in the closing “Tips for Widow(ers) and Those Who Support Them” section). (Jan.)