Notes on Grief

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a gift of getting down to the heart of an issue and then articulating her thoughts on it in a way that no one else can. Because of that gift, I expected a little more from her Notes on Grief - more takeaways or broader ruminations. Literally though, this is her experience of losing her dad, and perhaps because it was so recent (June of 2020), there hasn't been time for her draw on lessons learned, etc.

I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you are looking for a window into someone else's loss. I am preparing for grief. My grandfather is terminally ill, and our whole family is seemingly holding our respective breaths waiting for our patriarch to die. The world seems to be shifting a bit with the imminence of this loss, and I'm sorry for the reminder of how short this life really is. I appreciate how long Chimamanda's love for her father radiates off every part of her experience. That is part of why the loss is so hard, but that love is what makes life worth living.

Happy reading and here's to more intentional living--