...she writes with admirable candor and engaging humor about getting through the worst times in her life and coming out on the other side ... At first, her book can seem to fit in with the self-help genre, but it is more than that. It’s the very personal story of paddling through grief, adjusting to single motherhood, running away from pain, confronting the fear of failing, surfacing and then rising. It’s a comforting read for those who have experienced losses, and an inspiring one for anyone looking to appreciate and see life from an exceptional angle. McInerny’s voice is disarming and her language is sincere. Often, her book reads like a compelling diary, a string of blunt confessions ... Her eloquent observations span subjects from casual sex to her feminist agenda to internet trolls, all the while pulling readers steadily through the beautiful chill of the Minnesota air under piercing blue skies.
What makes this book so powerful is the way McInerny shares the painful act of rebuilding her life with such honesty and humor. She isn’t afraid to admit how hard it is to find joy surrounded by so much sorrow ... Everyone faces tragedy. McInerny shows you how to do it with strength and grace.
With humor and vulnerability, McInerny illustrates the emotional toll of pretending that everything was fine ... Chapters on the author's blended family are the strongest ... Yet, brief essays about feedback on her podcast feel out of place, interrupting the flow of the narrative, and reflections on the cultural expectations of her Catholic upbringing could have been expanded ... Spanning memoir and parenting, this supplemental purchase is best for large memoir collections; it can be read alongside the author's first book or on its own.
As the book’s title suggests, McInerny rejects the cliché of a 'Hollywood happy ending': 'This is life after life after life, in all of the chaos and contradiction of feelings and doings and beings involved,' she writes. 'There will be unimaginable joy and incomprehensible tragedy.' With great wit and empathy, she admits that allowing tragic events to open us up to further vulnerability may not feel right, or possible. But taking that risk can restore our trust that the light of goodness can still reach us, even in our darkest nights.
McInerny’s best friends and their unwavering support through all the ups and downs are also significant factors in this perceptive tale. The author’s love for both Aaron and Matthew is consistently apparent but, refreshingly, never maudlin. McInerny delivers a highly emotional—but not overly somber—story that will appeal to anyone who has suffered a significant loss and is seeking a path toward life’s next chapter. Reflective and tender writing on finding new meanings and a different life after heartbreaking loss.
