"My husband died, my life collapsed." On a February morning in 2008, Joyce Carol Oates drove her ailing husband, Raymond Smith, to the emergency room of the Princeton Medical Center where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Both Joyce and Ray expected him to be released in a day or two. But in less than a week, even as Joyce was preparing for his discharge, Ray was dead from a hospital-acquired virulent infection, and Joyce was suddenly faced - totally unprepared - with the reality of widowhood. A Widow's ...
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"My husband died, my life collapsed." On a February morning in 2008, Joyce Carol Oates drove her ailing husband, Raymond Smith, to the emergency room of the Princeton Medical Center where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Both Joyce and Ray expected him to be released in a day or two. But in less than a week, even as Joyce was preparing for his discharge, Ray was dead from a hospital-acquired virulent infection, and Joyce was suddenly faced - totally unprepared - with the reality of widowhood. A Widow's Story illuminates one woman's struggle to comprehend a life absent of the partnership that had sustained and defined her for nearly half a century. Joyce Carol Oates shares the derangement of denial, the anguish of loss, the disorientation of the survivor amid a nightmare of "death duties," and the solace of friendship. She writes unflinchingly of the experience of grief - the almost unbearable suspense of the hospital vigil, the treacherous "pools" of memory that surround us, the vocabulary of illness, the absurdities of commercialized forms of mourning. Here is a frank acknowledgment of the widow's desperation - only gradually yielding to the recognition that "this is my life now." Enlivened by the piercing vision, acute perception and mordant humour that are the hallmarks of the work of Joyce Carol Oates, this is an extremely moving tale of life and death, love and grief.
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Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco.
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Fair. Used book-May contain writing notes highlighting bends or folds. Text is readable book is clean and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $2.52, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $2.53, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $3.49, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
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Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $3.71, fair condition, Sold by Used Book Company rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Egg Harbor Township, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
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Former library copy. A readable copy that is fairly worn and shows considerable signs of wear and previous use. May include writing/highlighting, library labels, stickers, shelf/handling wear, damages to pages/spine/binding/cover, and other defects. May not include supplementary material (toys, access code, dvds, etc). A portion of your purchase benefits nonprofits! -STOCK PHOTO, ITEM DETAILS (PUBLICATION YEAR, FORMAT, ETC) & OTHER INFO MAY BE INACCURATE. PRODUCT'S ACTUAL EDITION, ITEM DETAILS & FORMAT MAY DIFFER FROM WHAT IS SHOWN. INFO/PHOTOS PROVIDED UPON REQUEST.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $3.75, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $3.83, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco Press.
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Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Widow's Story: a Memoir to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Ecco.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I found it interesting because it was an in depth individual; thought process by the widow that most people dont consider. As a widow myself- I relived some of her actions.
I also questioned- how did she remember all those things? A portion of my time period is blurred because of the emotional grief you are going through at that time.
Most people dont realize it takes a long time- years or maybe never- before there is an adjustment to your new status. So many things to take care of and your mind is not up to handling this all at once.
The book was well written with a lot of thought.
A good - "What To Do" book for someone who is in a terminal illness situation or close to a someone who has lost a loved one.
