Review by Darcie Czajkowski
Hannah
Bernal is in love. With her husband. Her daughter. Her friends. Her life.
So why did
her husband have to go and die?
That is what
Hannah thinks when her husband, John, pedals off one morning to the farmer’s
market and never returns. Hit by a car. Gone in an instant.
Depression
befalls Hannah.
No, that is
not accurate. Hannah is deeply, wholly,
down-to-the-bone entrenched in grief.
She never deserved John. Or at
least that’s what she believes, particularly when she compares her average
looks to John’s superhero, well, everything.
But her
Grief Team will help her through it.
They always do. They never leave her side. They being: Jay – the
over-the-top gay, Chloe – the all-natural, green-tea-drinking,
grungy-dog-obsessing girlfriend, and Aimee – the
Hollywood-wannabe-but-never-gonna-be girlfriend.
Hannah isn’t
convinced that she can ever recover. In
her words, she’s a “good-enough mom” who was married to “Super dad.” And if
that isn’t depressing enough, Hannah starts seeing – and talking to – dead people, which only creates a whole host of new
issues. Like unemployment. Or what would be funemployment if John hadn’t
forgotten to pay the bills and hadn’t left their financials in complete and
total disarray.
Will she
make it out alive, or will her communications with those from beyond pull her
to the dark side?
The After Life tells the story of a grieving widow
trying to survive in L.A. In the land of the happy, perfectly groomed and
composed, Hannah feels out of place – to say the least. For anyone who has ever
felt lost after the death of a loved one or felt out of place in a city where
they are unlike everyone around them, this story teaches you to cling to those
whom you care about and those who care about you. Savor the moments you have
with your loved ones and, when the time comes, look back on the good times you
shared with them.
About the Author:
Gigi Levangie Grazer is the author of
three prior novels: Rescue Me (2000), Maneater (2003), and The Starter Wife
(2006). The Starter Wife was adapted for an Emmy Award-winning USA Network
miniseries starring Debra Messing, and later for a television series; Maneater
was adapted for a Lifetime miniseries starring Sarah Chalke in May 2009. In
addition, Gigi wrote the screenplay for Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and
Susan Sarandon. Gigi's articles have appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and
Glamour. She lives in L.A. with her two children and three miniature dachshunds.
Connect with Gigi at: