"They may have started out doing this for their husbands and family, but somewhere along the way it has also become about them. About fighting for a new life that didn't have to end with the tragedy that had overtaken them. About finding joy in the journey."
Eva and Angela are sisters-in-law, united not only by their marriage to brothers, but in their grief over the loss of both their husbands in the same accident. While this should draw them together, they're dealing with their loss very differently and find it difficult to share the common ground peacefully. When Eva convinces Angela to attempt an ultra-marathon in New Zealand, in memory of their husbands, they will each need to face their grief, their loss, and their fears, in order to face their future.
There was a lot of depth and emotion in this book; it didn't gloss over the journeys each woman had to travel through her grief, even though the timeline was perhaps compacted for a novel-length story. It really highlighted how differently people can process loss, and how that might look quite different on the outside than what they're actually feeling inside. The temptation to idealize the departed is prevalent, but the reader can see the characters work through their guilt over their less than perfect relationships and acknowledge the gaps, and learn from their mistakes.
I give this book 4 stars. It had depth without feeling heavy with its look at grief and learning to live again.
You can find Joy of Falling HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
